Mumbai: Bhandup residents name and shame BMC contractor for not finishing work on time

People felicitating Sanjay Bhanushali, the contractor

Fed up of a road being dug up for months, residents of Bhandup felicitated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) contractor behind it with a certificate for the delay, and a coconut and shawl. The local corporator claims this is the act of some miscreants to defame the work that was pending for nearly 20 years, which he has managed to get done.

Locals claim the roads have been dug up for more than five months

The digging of roads to lay sewer lines began in different parts of Bhandup around 5 to 6 months ago. These include roads at Konkan Nagar, Pratap Nagar, Dakshin Utkarsh Nagar, Jameel Nagar, Samarth Nagar and Sahyadri Nagar.

Why locals are upset
"When they dug up the road, we thought it will end soon, but it didn't. The work kept going on and on now it's been nearly 6 months and 5 to 6 lakh people are suffering due to it," said Manoj More, secretary of Utsahi Mitra Mandal, which had arranged the felicitation which was his idea.

Utsahi Mitra Mandal, is an NGO working in Bhandup, and its members and some local residents met Sanjay Bhanushali, the BMC contractor and felicitated him. Residents offered him a coconut, a shawl and a certificate of appreciation for delaying the work. An embarrassed Bhanushali had no option but to go along with what was happening. He was not available for comment despite several attempts.

The pits for the work have nearly halved the road

Vijaya Gaonkar, a 65-year-old resident who stays near Kali Mata Mandir said, "It is a nuisance. We can't even leave our homes as vehicles have been parked outside due to the construction. Many dialysis patients find it difficult to make their way through the road when they go for treatment. But not even the local corporator is paying any attention."

‘Worried about kids'
"I am a working woman and because of this delayed work I face lot of problems to reach railway station. Also, every family has to keep a close eye on their kids, as the pits are 15 to 20 feet deep. We don't know when this work is going to end," said Shanita Rane, another local resident.

"My father is 75-years-old, and a diabetic and needs dialysis every week. I am praying from day one of this work that we don't have to shift him at the 11th hour to a hospital, as an ambulance won't reach close to our house. Due to the work there is also a lot of dust in the area causing throat irritation. We are so done with this work," said Prashant Satam, another local.

The certificate that says the contractor is being felicitated for the delay which has given locals ‘heavenly joy'

‘Miscreants want publicity'
When mid-day contacted Umesh Mane, the corporator of S ward no. 115, he claimed, "This work was pending for 20 years but we managed to start and end it. The lines will be placed 15 feet down, it's a huge job but in the final stage. Some miscreants have done this to get publicity and give a bad name to public work".

20
No. of years local corporator claims the work was pending for and now is done