The lanes of Nahar Amrit Shakti, an integrated township in Chandivali, saw residents of different apartment complexes unite on Sunday to take out a protest march against encroachments and traffic snarls in the locality.
The residents, who are part of Chandivali Citizens’ Welfare Association, threatened to choose the NOTA option while voting in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 29 if their problems are not resolved.
‘Perennial problems’
Mandeep Singh, founder of the association and resident of Synchronicity, said, “The power of social media made the news about this protest go viral. We created a WhatsApp group with 40 committee members to help spread the word on social media. Finally, about 1,000 people turned up for the protest. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been ignoring our issues for the past 10 years.” Mr. Singh said the presence of wine shops also posed a threat to the safety of women.
Shouting slogans, the protesters began their march near the D-Mart in the township and distributed roses to hawkers selling wares on the pavements. Sati Suresh, a resident of Tata Symphony, said the hawkers seemed cooperative and agreed to clear the footpaths. Kanti Belliappa, another resident of Tata Symphony, said, “We are optimistic about the BMC taking action and removing the encroachments.”
An elderly resident of the area said, “Senior citizens cannot cross the road because of heavy traffic. Moreover, autorickshaws are parked haphazardly and BEST buses find it difficult to navigate the road.”
Amit Pathak, a resident of Synchronicity, said the encroachments had reduced roads to one-way streets. He said, “To get to work at 9.30 a.m, I have to leave home at 7 a.m. It has become difficult to cover even a distance of half a kilometre between 8.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.”
‘No space to walk’
Mr. Singh said they had reached out to the local MP, MLA, corporator of L ward, commissioner of the traffic department and the Saki Naka police before deciding on staging the protest march. He said, “We live in the 21st century, but our infrastructure is of the 19th century. Can’t the officials see the encroachments? We don’t even have space to walk. In case of an emergency, ambulances and fire engines won’t be able to enter the area easily.”