4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Dec 25, 2025 03:51 PM IST
BMC has issued a stop-work notice to the upcoming Bombay High Court complex in Bandra East for violating air pollution mitigation norms during demolition.(file)
Tucked in the eastern belt of island city, Mumbai’s F/North ward is a study in contrast. While one corner of the ward is home to well-planned, British era precincts such as Hindu and Parsi colonies, large settlements of informal bastis amid narrow lanes straddle the other end of the ward.
As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gears up for the long-awaited civic polls, locals across the ward’s spectrum echoed that not much has changed on ground since the previous polls, with the locality continuing to tackle the same civic woes that plagued the area during the 2017 civic polls.
Spanning a total area of 12.94 sq km, the F/North encompasses 10 electoral wards, between 172 to 181, making it among the largest wards of the city.
Large swathes of the F/North ward are accounted for slum pockets which are concentrated in Sion Koliwada, Wadala, Antop Hill, Sion East. In the informal settlements of the area such as Korba Mithagar, Sion Transit Camp, Ganesh Nagar and Himmat Nagar etc, residents rue that inadequate drainage system, waste management and paucity of water continue to remain among the biggest concerns for them.
Sadashiv Shetty, a resident of Ambed Nagar near the GTB Nagar monorail station told Express, “The small gullis in our basti are covered in garbage and even the drainage is full. In Sangman Nagar, for example, one can’t even properly walk inside the slum galli as the water from the sewerage drains overflows on the streets. Unfortunately, the problem of cleanliness has only worsened in the past few years. Earlier we could complain to the corporators or write them letters and they would help us. Now, the administration has all the control and they barely help us.”
Unlike the slum dotted wards of 174, 175, 176, the other end of F/North is home to more organised neighbourhoods of Hindu Colony, Parsi Colony, King’s Circle, Matunga, Five gardens among others. However, hordes of civic issues persist.
Nikhil Desai, a resident of Matunga east and coordinator for the AGNI foundation said, “While there is an array of issues in the ward ranging from hawkers to lack of walking spaces, the number of illegal hoardings in the area is a significant problem. The circles at Dadar, Sion and King’s Circle are our pride. However, for every birthday and festival, political parties put up hoardings along these circles as well as near the Shanmukhananda Hall where large political gatherings are convened. Further, even the illegal hoardings which are removed by the BMC are dumped in heaps under the Kings Circle flyover.”
Desai pointed out that with the closure of three key links in the vicinity including the Tilak bridge and Elphinstone bridge, traffic snarls have risen exponentially in the region.
Encompassing an electorate of 3.89 lakh voters, the F/North ward lies under the sway of the Mahayuti fold. Barring wards 179 and 180, which are held by Congress’ Sufiyan Vanu and UBT Sena’s Smita Gavkar, all seats of the ward are held by former corporators from BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Further, the ward lies under the Sion Koliwada legislative Assembly which is held by BJP MLA Captain R Tamil Selvan.
In the ward reservation lottery conducted earlier this year, key ward leader Ravi Raja, who pledged allegiance to BJP, lost his incumbent seat (176 which encompasses Sion in F/North ward) to the OBC-woman reservation.
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Despite the Mahayuti’s dominance in the ward, Congress has pinned its hopes in wrenching the seats from the former BJP and Congress corporators.
Amit Shetty, member of All Indian Congress Committee said, “The local MLA has failed to address the local issues in the area whether it is amenities in the slums like water supply, traffic issues among others. The MLA is only interested in SRA scheme-based projects. People are well aware about what the MLA has failed to do. We are confident that Congress will win with a good majority in the ward.”
Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)
Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area.
Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:
Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).
Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).
Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.
Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.
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