Narwekar assures of water, street lights to tenants of MbPA land

Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) tenants will receive basic amenities such as water supply and streetlights from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) if the MbPA fails to provide them, according to Rahul Narwekar, the state legislative assembly speaker. The announcement came after a meeting held on Friday to address issues related to lessees, occupants, and slum dwellers, including high rents, leases not being renewed, and the lack of basic infrastructure.

Mumbai: The tenants and occupants residing on Mumbai Port Authority’s (MbPA) land will get water supply, sewage, drainage and streetlights from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) if the MbPA fails to do it, Rahul Narwekar, state legislative assembly speaker, said.

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On Friday, the speaker convened a meeting in Vidhan Bhavan to address issues related to lessees, occupants and slum dwellers. In the meeting, the people complained of high rents, leases not being renewed, and the collapse of basic infrastructure, among others, in the Darukhana area.

According to Ashok Garg, Darukhana Tenants Association, there is no drainage or sewage in the Darukhana area, and people drink water from the fire extinguishing system of BMC along the roadside. “We have complained a lot of times, but no one listens to us. There are no roads in the Darukhana area, and the MbPA has not given us any streetlights,” he added.

Pradeep Doshi, head of Mumbai Timber Merchants Association, said that their leases were not renewed. “All sorts of charges are taken from us, but the MbPA failed to provide any services in our areas,” he added.

Speaking at the meeting, Narwekar said, “The rents charged by other government agencies are affordable, and MbPA must charge on similar lines.’’

He added that there are 4,000 buildings in south Mumbai which are more than 125 years old, and the MbPA must undertake repair work or redevelopment on humanitarian grounds.

“There is a complete collapse of basic amenities in the Darukhana area, and as per the BMC Act, if any person staying in Mumbai was not getting basic facilities, then the civic body could grant it,” Narwekar said, adding that he would speak to BMC and get basic facilities like drainage, sewage and water supply.

The MbPA chairperson, Rajiv Jalota, and deputy chairperson, Aadesh Titarmare, were also present at the meeting. Jalota said that he was aware of the problems faced by residents on MbPA land. “We will take BMC’s help for sewage, roads, drainage and water supply, and help from BEST is being taken for installing street lights,” he added.