Broken gutters, dirty water spillage plague Juhu Koliwada
Over two years after their first complaint about broken gutter chambers, residents of Juhu Koliwada continue to live with stinking water in their lanes
Over two years after their first complaint about broken gutter chambers, residents of Juhu Koliwada continue to live with stinking water collecting in pools on their lanes. “The top of the gutter chambers of the drainage lines are broken, which causes water to spill out,” said Nicky D’Souza, a resident. “Further, debris and garbage fall inside it, causing the sewers to choke up. That exacerbates the problem and the cycle never stops.”
D’Souza had sent the first complaint about it in February 2022, and continuously followed up. The latest complaint was sent last week, alerting Bhushan Gagrani, the new municipal commissioner, about the pending complaint.
“The broken gutter chambers continue to cause significant inconvenience and hardship to us,” reads the letter. “Not only do they emit a foul smell, they also pose a severe threat to our health. Furthermore, they have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, exacerbating the situation. The persistent foul smell and resulting health issues are becoming increasingly intolerable.”
After his complaint, BMC officials visited the area and did an inspection. “They said they would transfer the complaint to the sewerage department of the K West ward, but after that, no one has come,” said D’Souza.
The dirty water enters into many houses in the neighbourhood. At least 30 households in the neighbourhood reported dirty water coming into their homes on Wednesday. When the residents complain, it is only fixed temporarily. The problem returns soon.
Another resident, Micheal, explained, “The main sewerage lines have not been cleaned in a long while. They’re choked up and blocked, and they overflow almost every day.”
Micheal has been living in the area for 24 years, and has seen a multiplication of mosquitoes in the area. “During the monsoon when the area floods, the sewer water mixes with the rainwater and enters our homes. There have been many posters out up by former corporators from all political parties, but no cleaning happens,” he said.
Yet another resident, Regina Raman, had lodged a complaint with the BMC helpline 1916 in March. She was given a complaint number, but when she followed up, she was told the complaint fell out of their jurisdiction.
“Seven or eight houses in my lane would get together and get the gutters cleaned twice a year, and we’d pay the BMC officials ₹1,500 out of our own volition. We got it cleaned last September, then December, but the drains have overflowed again. Fixing them so soon every time is becoming an issue. What the gutter chambers need is a permanent solution and proper repairing, as rats have chewed them out,” she said.
A BMC official from the sewerage department of the K West ward said he had attended to the issue in the area around 20 days ago, after a complaint. “We were cleaning the sewer line on the main road and reached the spot. Finding a blockage, we fixed it. If there is a bigger problem, we will check.”