This road connects to the main VN Purav road and has two public landmarks at its entry — the Trombay police station and the Shahaji Nagar Municipal Public School — which are often visited by the residents. The half-concreted condition of the 800-metre stretch has been like this for the past three years
The half-concreted dug-up road at Trombay’s Cheeta Camp. PICS/SHAHDAB KHAN
With a population of over four lakh, Cheeta Camp in Trombay is one of the tight-knit clusters of Mumbai’s eastern suburbs. The whole area’s traffic connects to one arterial road — the MG Ramachandran Marg — which remains incomplete even after three years, causing hassle for the people living there, who claim that the area has become a hotspot for accidents.
This road connects to the main VN Purav road and has two public landmarks at its entry — the Trombay police station and the Shahaji Nagar Municipal Public School — which are often visited by the residents. The half-concreted condition of the 800-metre stretch has been like this for the past three years. When the road was initially being dug, the residents of the area were told that the work would be done within a month. However, after three years, the dug-up road, with cracks and potholes, has become even worse to use.
“We have been asking the authorities since the time they stopped the project in the first month after digging it up, but we have had no action from their side,” said Asif Sayyed, an activist and a resident of Cheeta Camp. Sayyed says that every time they escalate their complaints to the BMC, they see a little change, which is soon abandoned. “We have had times where we have sat in the ward office for hours, just so that the authorities pay heed to our needs, and when they do, we have seen them leave the work half done,” added Sayyed.
Of the 800 metres, only about 150 metres at the start of the road is properly concreted; the rest of the road sees vertical patchwork. “There is more than five inches of gap between the concreted part of the road and the other side, which is a mix of mud and tar. We see vehicles come and go with some difficulty on a good day, and autos turn over and fall to one side on a bad day. The condition of the road, for lack of better words, is pathetic,” said Sayyed.
The road, due to its deteriorating condition, has become a hotspot for accidents. “We have around 8-9 accidents happening every month; it’s now surprising to us if the number goes down from eight,” said a resident requesting anonymity. With the monsoons starting earlier this year, the residents of the area even faced heavy waterlogging on the road, with water depth differing from knee length to ankle length.
“Our kids walk to school, which is at the end of the road. It is supposed to be safe for them, especially when it is so close to home, but that is not the case here. We are constantly scared that our kids will have an unfortunate accident just walking around their own home,” said another resident.
The road not only causes accidents, but it also delays emergency medical treatment if one is required and has to use this road. “My daughter was very sick a few years ago, and we had to rush her to the hospital. Even as we rushed, we lost some 5-10 minutes of crucial time, which might have made a difference. She passed away that day; she was only two-and-a-half years of age,” said Sayyed.
“The road was not so bad back then, but it still got us late. I am not saying what happened was because of the condition of the road, but it might have been a small part of the reason,” Sayyed said.
Residents claim that parts of the road that have been concreted are now being used by hawkers and shop owners to park their carts or vehicles on the road, as usage of those patches by drivers is not possible. Officials from the BMC’s roads department say that the work is being stalled as the locals are creating issues. “The work had to stop for around 8 months in the middle,” said an official.
The area comes under BMC’s M East ward, whose Municipal Commissioner is Ujwal Ingle. “The roads department is responsible for making these roads, and we (BMC) are ready to coordinate with them on working on the road if they ask us,” said Ingle.
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