All they want is to feel safe in their homes in Dharavi, but the BMC seems more keen on tearing down their safety net: the local police chowkie. Six months after demolishing the beat chowkie, the civic body is yet to rebuild it. Tired of the rising crime rate, the locals have started building it on their own. But once again, civic officials have threatened to tear it down, claiming the construction is illegal.

The demolition of beat chowkie no. 1 has made the residents of Dharavi's Dhobi Talao nervous, as the locality now witnesses more crimes such as sexual harassment and mobile-snatching. "The chowkie's demolition has led to an increase in anti-social elements in the area. Many school and college-going girls have complained of harassment," said Siddharth Medhe, president of the Dharavi Nagrik Seva Samiti.