Seat watch: E-ward | Encroachments, water shortage, parking crunch plague this urban melting pot
For a ward plush with many century-old buildings, the emergence of redeveloped projects has also burdened the essential resources such as water supply and storm water drainage in old villages.
Flanked by modern highrises on one end and some of the city’s oldest settlements of Matharpacady to Kamathipura and Nagpada on the other, E ward is Mumbai’s veritable melting pot. This eclectic character is evident in its political profile with each of its seven electoral wards bearing a representative from six different political parties.
Home to an electorate of 3.16 lakh voters, the E ward encompasses seven electoral wards from 207 to 213. In the 2017 civic polls, ward number 207 was won by BJP candidate Surekha Lokhande. While Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Ramakant Rahate won in ward number 208, Congress’s Sonam Jamsutkar held fort in ward number 210. Ward number 209 was held by Yashwant Jadhav, senior Shiv Sena UBT leader and the house leader who pledged allegiance to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party’s Rais Shaikh was elected as corporator in ward number 211, while ward number 212 encompassing Dagdi Chawl lies under the sway of former corporator Geeta Arun Gawli from Akhil Bhartiya Sena (ABS). The 213 ward, which encompasses Kamathipura and Nagpada belt, is held by Congress’ Javed Juneja.
While no political party enjoys clear majority on the local level, the ward lies under the sway of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in the larger political landscape. While Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant is the MP elect from the Mumbai south constituency, Congress’ Amin Patel is the MLA from Mumbadevi constituency.
As the E ward braces for a complex political fight, encroachments, water supply and lack of parking spaces have emerged as some of the core concerns in the area.
With large settlements of E ward tucked in narrow lanes, locals pointed to lack of space for vehicular and pedestrian movement owing to encroachments in the neighborhood. Being congested, the ward also grapples with absence of green spaces with records from BMC showing that even as the E ward sprawls over 7km of area, it houses only seven open spaces.
Javed Juneja, the former corporator from ward number 213, said, “Most homes in the locality have at least two to three two-wheelers. However, they have nowhere to park. Even the emergence of high rises has failed to resolve this crisis. Furthermore, the BMC has failed to implement the Town Vending Policy to organise hawkers, which adds to the problems of encroachments in the area.”
For a ward plush with many century-old buildings, the emergence of redeveloped projects has also burdened the essential resources such as water supply and storm water drainage in old villages. On the other hand, older structures in E ward, which is home to at least 14 C1 dilapidated building, face the issue of crumbling infrastructure and cracks with reports of house collapses becoming increasingly commonplace.
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Speaking to The Indian Express, a resident of Matharpacady village in E ward said, “Being a heritage precinct, the Matharpacady gaothan should be preserved but instead, our problems have only risen in the past few years. Since Matharpacady is on a hill, we are experiencing low water supply and the rise of redeveloped buildings all around have strained the supply. Even regular supply of electricity has become a big problem over the past years.”
According to Juneja, the lack of funding in the absence of elections has prevented former corporators from improving essential civic amenities such as storm water drainage since 2022. “Besides drainage, we have not had the funds to carry out gully improvement projects, of which maximum lie in the E ward.”
In the run-up to elections, Juneja said that even as his seat has now been reserved for women, Congress is set to field a candidate and retain its control over Kamathipura and Nagpada pockets. Arvind Sawant, the MP who also heads the Sena UBT workers’ wing, echoed that the Sena UBT will also retain its seats in the ward with a comfortable margin.
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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