A dug up road blocks traffic in Bhandup village. Pic/Sameer Markande

On July 11, we had raised issues of traffic chaos, poor hygiene in slums and the rapid mushrooming of small factories in the 12.5-sqkm ward. The much-needed widening of the LBS Road is still nowhere in sight and the BMC is yet to crack down on unauthorised factories — the biggest contributor of pollution in the area. Slums’ access to clean drinking water and sanitation is also limited. Residents say piles of garbage are dumped and left to rot for days at Pannalal Silk Compound in Bhandup (West) as well as at Bhandup Industrial Estate, which is putting lives at risk.