Residents fume as BMC ignores year-old complaints of trucks dirtying roads, turning them into health hazards
Mud that fell off trucks on Best Colony Road in Lokhandwala, Andheri, as they exit a construction site. Residents say the mud dries and turns into dust, causing pollution; (right) muck left behind by trucks from a construction site has made roads near Lokhandwala hazardous for bikers and pedestrians. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Over a year after filing their first complaint, residents of Lokhandwala in Andheri have once again written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over inaction against dust pollution along the 800-metre Best Colony Road.
According to residents, the problem worsens during the monsoon, as trucks with mud-caked tyres exit a construction site that turns marshy during rains. The mud is deposited on the road, and once it dries, it turns into thick dust clouds — polluting the air and endangering public health. Citizens have also accused the BMC of ignoring repeated complaints. mid-day had first reported the issue in July this year.
Taking to social media, the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA) posted on Saturday: “The dump trucks servicing the nearby construction site have severely damaged the road near Walawalkar Park in Oshiwara, turning it into a dusty, desert-like mess. Despite multiple complaints, the authorities have taken no action. Our city needs urgent attention! #Oshiwara #MumbaiIssues #FixOurRoads”
LOCA has also written a formal complaint to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, as well as zone- and ward-level civic authorities. The letter states: “Hundreds of trucks are going in and out daily, dirtying the road. Several bikers skid daily and suffer severe injuries. The contractor occasionally sends staff to brush the road when we complain, but this is grossly insufficient. At times, they pour water, but that too happens once in four months. Once the mud dries, dust floats in the air, causing respiratory issues for a huge number of residents.”
Dhaval Shah of LOCA explained, “We’ve been told that the construction site falls under the P South ward, while the road comes under the K West ward. This lack of coordination makes solving the issue harder. Meanwhile, residents continue to suffer daily from this health hazard.”
Resident Munir Chagani added, “What was once a peaceful neighbourhood now feels like a construction site. Every day, hundreds of trucks loaded with debris thunder down these roads, leaving layers of dirt and muck.
During rains, the streets turn into slippery death traps; in dry weather, clouds of dust choke the air. Senior citizens and asthma patients are the worst hit, while others are forced to shut their windows to escape the pollution.” mid-day had reported on July 2 that the Lokhandwala Complex Environment Action Group first raised the issue with the BMC in September 2024, when five to six trucks were found depositing wet soil along the road. In summer, this soil dries up into thick dust; during the monsoon, it spreads into muck across the carriageway and dangerously slippery sludge on footpaths.
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