Mahim beach clean up: PWD machines fail to clear Mahim beach of erosion rocks

The stones continue to be an obstacle to the beach clean-up, and inconvenience walkers

It's been over a week since mid-day reported how the huge stones washed ashore Mahim beach are causing a problem in its clean-up, and inconveniencing walkers, but PWD is yet to move them. When contacted, the officials told mid-day, that another machine they got to lift the stones, had also developed a technical issue. A machine brought in earlier for the work had developed a technical snag.

Anwar Khan, a Mahim resident, said, "Four to five days back PWD brought a machine to lift the stones but it stopped working. A similar thing happened earlier. The PWD should get a good machine and complete the work at the earliest."

Activist Irfan Macchiwala, who has been actively involved with the local residents in the Mahim beach clean-up, said, "It's been over two weeks now that we have been waiting for the stones to be cleared from Mahim beach by the Public Works Department. Around two days back I had a discussion with a junior officer from PWD, and he told me that they will move the stones at the earliest. There is a delay because their machine has an issue."

On May 8, mid-day had done a story (Anti-erosion rocks clogging Mahim beach) on the issue. The boulders were dumped near the coastline by the PWD to prevent sand erosion. But many are yet to be installed after the PWD's machinery stopped working a month ago.

Following the mid-day article, PWD authorities had informed local activists and people involved with the beach clean-up, that they would soon lift the huge stones.

The same excuse
A senior PWD official said, "The machine that we brought has developed a technical snag. Soon we will get another machine and lift the stones." The locals said that they are worried that the monsoon is just few weeks away and if the stones are not lifted before it, then more stones will wash onto the beach as the tidal current is very strong.

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