Completion certificates given but work unfinished in Ghatkopar’s Parksite slum

In Ghatkopar's Parksite slum, BMC's incomplete improvement projects raise concerns as activists question the allocation of ₹5 crore for development.

MUMBAI: In the Parksite slum of Ghatkopar in N ward, multiple work orders for slum improvement have been given by the BMC since March. But though very little work has happened on the ground, completion certificates have already been issued by the civic body, alleged activist Dhiraj Gholap.

In the Parksite slum of Ghatkopar in N ward, multiple work orders for slum improvement have been given by the BMC since March. Representative Image (Kunla Patil/HT File Photo)

Armed with documents—BMC work orders for sewage lines, tiling and construction of retaining walls and toilets—Gholap, who lives in the area, showed HT several areas in the slum where barely any work was done. “I submitted a written complaint to the BMC in August, and have visited the N ward office repeatedly but got no response,” he said. “Work orders of over ₹2 crore have been given, so where has the money gone?”

Gholap began by showing HT the remnants of a retaining wall in Ganesh Society in Parksite, which collapsed in July. Retaining walls are constructed to act as a barrier for shanties built on a hill and prevent loose rocks and landslides. “The BMC issued a work order to repair the retaining wall for almost ₹16 lakh at the beginning of March, which was to be completed within 30 days,” he said. “By the end of the month, it issued a completion certificate to the contractor, which says the allotted work had been completed satisfactorily. But this is clearly not the case.”

While there were indications that work had begun, as construction material lay stacked on the slope of the hill, there was no proper retaining wall. The residents of the neighbouring homes attested to this. “We wrote to the BMC and our MLA Ram Kadam after the protection wall collapsed a few times, informing them about the danger to our lives and property,” said Imran Sheikh. “But after the work began, they left it halfway. During the monsoon, there is a very real danger of parts of the hill and the houses above falling onto our homes. We are lucky to have survived.”

Gholap then showed HT a MHADA toilet in Ashirwad Society, for the repair of which the BMC issued a work order of over ₹9 lakh in March. But the toilet was clearly far from repaired; the door was locked, with multiple tiles missing. Large rocks lay around the entrance along with garbage, indicating a lack of use.

A similar state of affairs was seen at Gurudutta Mandal, where ₹9 lakh was given for the improvement of pathways and drainage and laying of sewage lines at the start of March. A completion certificate was then issued to the contractor nine days after the work was supposed to have started despite the time given for the work being 30 days. “Work is completed satisfactorily,” said the remark on the certificate, a statement that the dismal situation on the ground did not reflect. Suryakant Pedekar, a resident, claimed that he had complained about the area’s condition many times but it had made no difference.

The same was the case at Sudarshan Society, where ₹17 lakh was allotted for the improvement of pathways and drainage in March. “Bags of cement and construction material have been kept on the side, but the path is as good as a kaccha road,” said Gholap. “There is a separate drainage chamber, but it’s all open and filled with garbage, a health hazard for residents.” The activist added that the same problems were faced by other areas of the Parksite slum.

An RTI response filed by Gholap indicated that works worth ₹5 crore had been given to N Ward for the ‘Integrated Slum Development Program’. “If this is the case in these few places, the question is: what is being done with the crores of rupees that have been allotted?” he questioned. “An investigation must be carried out into this.”

Despite multiple attempts, the BMC’s N Ward and assistant commissioner Gajanan Bellale did not respond to questions.