Major infra projects straddle F/South ward, but still grapples with water logging, encroached streets and traffic congestion
With the recently opened Atal Setu commencing from Sewri, the crucial link falls under the F/South ward. Besides this, a large number of big-ticket infrastructure projects are proposed in the ward including the redevelopment of Elphinstone bridge and the Orange gate tunnel.
Residents of the area echoed that the closure of the Elphinstone bridge for redevelopment has triggered fresh traffic snarls in the congested area. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) It once formed the beating heart of Mumbai’s booming textile mills industry. Today, the erstwhile mills of the F/South ward–encompassing Sewri, Dadar East, Lalbaug, Parel–have paved the way for redeveloped skyscrapers and commercial hubs.
Despite the tide of change, the ward continues to grapple with similar woes: water logging in Hindmata every monsoon season, encroached streets and traffic congestion. In what makes redevelopment a core concern in the belt, among the oldest colonies of the city like in Lalbaug, Ganesh Gully, Police colony as well as chawls like BDD chawl, railway chawl, Kohinoor mills compound straddle the F/South ward.
With the recently opened Atal Setu commencing from Sewri, the crucial link falls under the F/South ward. Besides this, a large number of big-ticket infrastructure projects are proposed in the ward including the redevelopment of Elphinstone bridge and the Orange gate tunnel.
Even so, the area is prone to immense traffic owing to high floating population during the day and encroachments along the roads. Residents of the area echoed that the closure of the Elphinstone bridge for redevelopment has triggered fresh traffic snarls in the congested area.
Further, chronic flooding spots like Hindmata junction continue to experience waterlogging after every heavy spell of monsoon even as the BMC efforts are underway to mitigate flooding in the area.
The new infrastructure works have also raised concerns over the structural stability of the old buildings in the belt, many of which are decades-old and have called for redevelopment projects. While some pockets like the BDD chawl are undergoing redevelopment, locals as well as political leaders like Sachin Padwal, former councillor for 206 ward, are batting for redevelopment in other pockets like the Sewri building chawl.
Sachin Padwal, former corporator and Shiv Sena UBT leader said, “We are eyeing to fast-track stalled redevelopment projects such as the Sewri building chawl by appealing to the Central government to release lands. Being a hospital hub with major hospitals like KEM, Wadia, Bachubhai and Tata, the ward also requires a proper shelter area for patients who currently sleep on the streets.”
Home to erstwhile mills, pockets of F/South ward is predominantly home to Marathi-speaking population and is a Shiv Sena stronghold. Even though the increasing number of redevelopment-induced high rises has shifted the demographics, the Shiv Sena continues to remain a dominant force in the ward.
Of the seven electoral wards (200-206) that land under the F/South ward, at least six seats are held by corporators from the Shiv (UBT) Sena. Meanwhile, Supriya More, the INC candidate who won the 201 ward seat in 2017 polls, pledged allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Overall, the ward falls under the Mumbai South constituency which is held by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant.
Padwal said the party is confident about retaining its dominance in the ward in the upcoming polls. “Ever since the Shiv Sena has been contesting elections, corporators from the party have held the seats in this ward. We are very confident about retaining all the seats in the ward and among the key plans for the ward, we along with our MP Arvind Sawant are aiming to clear 130 hutments and rehabilitate the residents to pave the way for three pillars for the expansion of the Atal Setu on Sewri end,” added Padwal.
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