At Mumbai’s bus depots, the people who keep the city moving work under ceilings that could come down at any moment, our report, supported with photographs, showed. During inspections across 27 BEST depots, a BEST committee member found the Vikhroli depot in a condition that raised serious concerns — cracked walls, a weakening roof, overgrown surroundings, and even reports of snakes nearby.

Our report highlighted looking beyond the decay and thinking about just how ‘normal’ this has become. The committee member pointed out that employees’ lives are at risk working here. There were roof slabs on the verge of collapse, cracked walls and weakening structure and overgrown vegetation around staff areas. We also flagged unhygienic, poorly maintained rest spaces.