M-ward workers have been much maligned for the problems the suburb has faced after the July 26 downpour.

But few people know that most of them have been working without a break since the deluge. In fact, they hardly went home in the last week of July. Incidentally, the workers will not be compensated for the extra work.

We have worked continuously since July 26. We havent taken a single day off. But this is crisis situation and well do our best, says an officer from M-west.

metro spends Aug 19 with three BMC officials to find out how they are performing in a situation where the work has multiplied manifold.

SP Darade
Assistant engineer
(maintenance)

5.20 am Crack of dawn thats the time I wake up.
7.30 am I have tea and chapatti for breakfast and leave for work.
8 am I reach the labour chowky under Chembur railway station bridge and supervise the allocation of work.
8.10 am I reach M-west ward office next to Cambridge Point.
8.15 to 9.30 am I do some paperwork.
9.30 am to 1 pm I monitor the complaints and visit sites such as MG Road, Somaiya nallah, Tilak Nagar, PL Lokhande Marg and others.
1.00 pm I return to office and do some regular paperwork. I also prepare a report of what I saw at the sites.
1.30 to 2 pm I take a lunch break. My lunch comes from home and so I get to eat fresh, hot food.
2 pm onwards I do routine paperwork. I also plan the next days work. Today Im feeling bad as I've had no time to visit my sister for Raksha Bandhan.
9.30 pm I leave office to reach home.
10.30 pm I reach home and talk to my family members.
11 pm I have a bath and eat dinner and go to sleep. I cannot afford to sleep late as I have a long day tomorrow.

Vrushali Suryakant Vaidak
Complaint officer

5.30 am I get up after a good nights sleep.
6.30 am I hurry in the kitchen to cook for my family. I finish making chapattis, vegetable and rice in half-an-hour. I grab some breakfast in between my household chores.
7 am I get ready for work.
8 am I reach office. It takes an hour to get to M-west ward office from Vashi by train.
8 am to 1.30 pm I attend to calls and meet the complainants. I attend to around 25 complaints in five-and-a-half hours. I separate the complaints according to the departments and forward them accordingly. Before July 26, I could take a break between 12 noon to 2.30 pm. But these days, I can't take this break.
1.30 to 2.30 pm I have my lunch.
2.30 to 5.30 pm I get back to noting down complaints.
5.45 pm I leave for home.
7 pm I reach home. It takes me longer to reach home in the evenings as it takes time to walk down from station to my Sector 17 residence.
7.30 to 8.30 pm After a short break, I cook dinner.
9 pm I have my dinner with my husband and two daughters.
11 pm I go to sleep as I am too tired.

Siddhapa Kamble
BMC sewerage supervisor

5 am I wake up. I have slept well last night because I was tired.
6 am I have my breakfast.
7 am I reach Chembur station from Govandi on foot.
7.10 am I reach office. It takes me time because I've walked slowly.
7.10 to 7.40 am I take attendance of all the labourers.
7.45 am I leave for the site.
7.45 am to 2.15 pm I visit four different sites in the suburb. My work involves cleaning garbage. Its really filthy, but its my job.
3 pm I come back to the office to drop the tools and equipments.
3.30 pm I leave office to go home.
4.30 pm I reach home after an hour-long walk.
4.45 pm I have a bath and then I have my lunch.
5 pm I go to sleep as Ive had a long, hard day. I am also too tired to visit my sister for Raksha Bandhan.

riddhi.doshi@mid-day.com