Andheri locals say choked drains are a nightmare for past few days; sewage water pools outside homes, trickles down street, housing colony
Residents indicate the point from where the sewage overflows into the colony
Residents and hawkers near the landmark Dhake Colony at J P Road next to Apna Bazar in Andheri West are not in the pink but in the stink of health. The area has witnessed considerable spillage of gutter/sewage water from choked drains along the road and in the Tep Dargah area winding its way outside, for a few days now. The result is sewage water snaking through the area, affecting locals and several pavement hawkers, restaurants and little shops in the vicinity.
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Dense space
The space is extremely dense with the D N Nagar Metro Station close by, very heavy traffic, chawls, restaurants, shops, buildings and residential colonies. Add to this mix, a multitude of hawkers and you have absolute congestion and a packed road. When this reporter visited the spot, wet patches were evident in different spots, and there was sewage water pooled at different places.
Sewage water entering the colony through a wall
A veggie seller pointing to water collected near her wares stated, “This is at its highest in the mornings, after which it goes down. Now it is afternoon, but it is still there. People do not jump over that mess to buy veggies, it affects my earnings. It has never been so difficult, the water has been increasing. I have been here for decades.”
Inside the Tep Dargah area chawl, which is a labyrinth of lanes barely enough for two people to pass, the foul smell is an instant olfactory assault. The sewage water, which has waste floating in it was literally at the door of these homes, some of which seeps inside.
Health risk
The Khans, Naiks, Shaikh families all living inside stated, “The problem has been very bad for the past few days. We do a lot of our work outside from washing clothes, to vessels, etc. How can we do so with sewage water at the door? When we enter our homes, this contaminated, filthy water comes into the living space through our feet. We are continually washing and cleaning inside.” Other locals added that they had to “carry our children when they have to go to school, as otherwise they would have to step into the water.”
Adjacent stands the well-known Dhake Colony comprising five buildings of two storeys each. The water was entering the colony, spilling from the area for several days. Colony chairman, Anand Shirali said, “The colony has been bathed in gutter water for the past few days. It was entering through the boundary wall of our colony, which stands next to Tep Dargah. It is a recipe for a full blown health disaster and emergency. A cholera or other outbreak is a real possibility.”
Bird bath
Dhake Colony secretary Ratnakar Shetty said, “We have been here for decades and this problem has truly aggravated this year. We needed speedy and effective solutions, our residents are at real risk.” A number of residents actually pointed out some birds bathing in a pool of fetid water, when this reporter visited. Earlier, residents had visited the BMC Chowky K Ward to urge quick action.
Shirali said, “We need huge suction pipes, hi-tech to clean out these gutters and address the problem. We could not keep waiting, so recently we got our boundary wall repaired, to reinforce it and to keep the water out. Yet if the water continues to seep in then, it may crack and the history and horror can repeat.” Seeing some dark humour in this situation, Shirali said about the birds dunking in the filthy water in the premises, “it is not kabootar ja, ja, jaa but kabootar naha, naha, naha.”
BMC says
A BMC spokesperson said, “The cleaning operations happened in phases. Work was on at a rapid pace. In fact, we repaired the damaged sewer chamber, which was causing obstruction. The problem has been resolved. We urge people not to dispose of plastic and cloth in drains.”
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