Mumbai: We are not kachra, say Deonar-Govandi residents

Deonar and Govandi residents have urged the authorities to rename Kachra Depot Road also referred to as Dumping Road a thoroughfare that has long been a navigational landmark for autorickshaw drivers and commuters For locals especially youngsters the name has become a constant source of embarrassment with residents arguing that it reduces their identity to garbageAfter disembarking at Mankhurd railway station commuters looking for directions to Kamala Raman Nagar or Nirankari Nagar often draw blank stares from auto drivers But a single mention of ldquoKachra Depot Roadrdquo or ldquoDumping Roadrdquo instantly gets them pointed in the right directionCalling the name ldquoderogatoryrdquo and ldquounfairrdquo residents have written to the urban development department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC urging an official name change They say the label has become a punchline inviting mockery and discrimination from outsidersThe appeal sent via email on April 8 by the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum GCWF a civic organisation dedicated to the welfare and dignity of residents in M East ward highlights the psychological social and developmental damage caused by the unofficial label which appears on Google MapslsquoNot in recordsrsquoAccording to the GCWF the road in question is located near Kamla Raman Nagar and Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society and does not feature any officially recorded name in BMCrsquos records However due to its proximity to the Deonar dumping ground the road has been autolabelled Kachra Depot Road by Google Maps and other digital platforms The group argues that such stigmatising nomenclature directly violates Article 21 of the Constitution which guarantees every citizen the right to live with dignityThe street near Kamla Raman Nagar which has acquired the name Kachra Depot Road PicSayyed Sameer AbediIn the letter GCWF calls upon the municipal commissioner who currently serves as the BMCrsquos administrator to initiate the official naming of the road and to adopt a name that reflects the cultural and social identity of the community They have proposed three alternatives for consideration Sangam Society Road Kamla Raman Nagar Road and Haji Niyaz Ahmed Azmi Marg The last of these suggestions is intended to honour Haji Niyaz Ahmed Azmi father of the current MLA of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Abu Asim Azmi whose contributions to the development of the area are widely acknowledged according to the letterThe GCWF has also requested that once the new name is approved the authorities should immediately inform Google Maps and other digital platforms to update their listings in accordance with the official nomenclature The organisation has also urged the BMC to conduct a thorough survey of all unnamed roads in the M East ward to ensure that no future labelling decisions result in defamatory or unofficial namesSignature campaign launchedThe community continues to gather signatures and support for their cause ldquoPeople donrsquot say lsquoHe lives in Govandi Nirankar Nagarrsquo or lsquoShersquos from Deonarrsquo They say lsquoOh they live on Kachra Depot Road and laugh It is so insulting and disrespectful Initially we thought this was an unofficial name that shows up on Google Maps only but we found it on a list of BMC dispensaries too It hurts our dignityrdquo said Faiyaz Alam Shaikh a Shivaji Nagar resident and president of the NGO Govandi New Sangam Welfare SocietyHe added ldquoThis is not just a name changemdashitrsquos a fight for dignity for equal treatment and for a future where the next generation does not grow up under the shadow of a garbage label We urge the urban development department to support and approve the municipal commissionerrsquos action at the earliest in the interest of public dignity social justice and equitable urban developmentrdquoThe stretch as depicted on Google MapsLocals argue that the current road name reinforces negative stereotypes especially in a part of the city already grappling with poor infrastructure limited development and environmental hazards due to its proximity to the dumping groundldquoWith the garbage dumping ground and a biomedical waste treatment facility located in our neighbourhood wersquove been relentlessly trying to get the government to address the serious issues we face Despite all this wersquore working hard to bring about change through education and awareness But naming a road in a way that associates us with this waste should not define who we are we are not kachrardquo said Ghulam Gaus an IT engineer and local residentHe added ldquoGovandi Deonar has long been labelled as a backward area There was a time when just our address meant we couldnrsquot get a SIM card or even a pizza delivered But our lives are so much more than the waste Mumbai sends hererdquoThe list of BMC dispensaries where the stretch is mentioned as Kachra Depot RoadAnother resident Shamshuddin Shaikh a student said ldquoEven while booking a cab the name that shows up is Kachra Depot Road I think once the BMC updates the name it will eventually get corrected across online platforms too I donrsquot want to give an address that includes something like Kachra Depot RoadrdquoSituation is unfair MLASpeaking on the issue of road naming and the process of changing it Rais Shaikh Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi and former corporator of Govandi explained ldquoAll these procedures are governed by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation MMC Act According to it a councillor or corporator can move a proposal to change the name of a road before the civic works committee either in the city or suburbs This is then tabled before the general body and a resolution is passed However since we currently do not have elected councillors the administrator has the authority to pass such a resolutionrdquoGhulam Gaus IT engineer and residentHe added ldquoYes this situation is unfair but it doesnrsquot violate any constitutional rights As far as I know the official name of the road is Kamala Raman Nagar Road Names like Dumping Road or Kachra Depot Road may have become popular colloquially and got stuck over time but if they are being used in official records or platforms it should be rectifiedrdquoBMC SpeakUjwal Ingole assistant municipal commissioner M East ward said ldquoI have no idea about this issue Residents have not approached me about this But if they have written to the municipal commissioneradministrator this will be looked into It seems like people have been unofficially calling the stretch Kachra Depot Road and the name has stuck Residents can always make suggestions and get an official name there is a procedure for thatrdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params