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Journalism of Courage
Getting an autorickshaw from outside Borivli East station in the night is a horrific experience. It is not as if the rickshaw-stand is deserted. On the contrary, the three platform exits are always crowded. It8217;s just that the drivers play tough. If you are lucky, the tenth auto you want to hire may agree to take you home. No threat about complaining to the RTO works drivers brazenly mock you by reading out their auto numbers for you. The cops are never present when they are needed.
The scenario is worse at the middle bridge, where though the official parking capacity is three there are over 15 of them standing in a queue in front of the entrance, leaving not even an inch for harried commuters. Worse still, these autos refuse to take Borivli passengers. They either solicit long-distance passengers or run an illegal share-an-auto to Kajupada, a distant colony beyond the highway. However, the scene is a little better during day time, but only at the first bridge towards Kandivli. It8217;s only after 1.00 amthat one can manage to overcome this struggle to reach home, for the rush hour, when you are bound to come across a traffic jam, is over. But where are the traffic guards? There is no traffic police station in the east. The Carter Road station posts its men elsewhere during the day.
Complaints to the R/North ward8217;s pest control office have not helped. Though the department is supposed to spray the open drains and gutters once every two months, the job is not done for months and DDT8217;s effect lasts for not more than a day. The only consolation the department offers is its claim that these mosquitoes many of which are the size of a fly donot cause malaria.
SLUMS: Kajupada beyond Srikrishna Nagar, largely known for the huge slum, is gradually becoming hunting ground for builders. The slums, mostly pre-1995, are sprawled over large tracts of mostly private land. The local corporator, Sanjeev Bawdekar, initially used his funds to provide concrete slabs in the narrow passages between two rows of tenements and a couple of water connections. But the living conditions are still far from hygienic.
Rats and other rodents thrive in the open and choked gutters. Slums are spread in other parts too. Rajendra Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Rupwati Nagar, Devi pada, Daulat Nagar, off M G road, near ST bus stop, slums have encroached upon huge spaces everywhere. At several places, private plots under dispute have also been encroached upon, informs Senior Police Inspector of Carter Road police station, Chandrakant K Gour. Slums in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park have encroached on to precious forest land. Bombay High Court orders to have them shifted to analternate site is yet to be implemented.
OCCUPATION CERTIFICATES: With Borivli being sought by both builders and buyers alike, the number of residential complexes is on the rise. But with that comes the problem of builders not complying with the BMC conditions. This results in the problem in acquiring occupation certificates. Very few builders take care of completing all the formalities before giving possession. There are also cases of housing co-operative societies not being registered because of the builder8217;s interference.
Sheetal Palace, a residential building at Kulupwadi, off Western Express Highway near the National Park, is one such example. Built by Vina Enterprise, the building comprising 38 residential flats was constructed in 1992. The residents allege that despite repeated requests the builders never tried to get the society registered. They also allege that the sale agreements were not executed properly. And though the builders are supposed to execute the conveyance within four monthsafter the society is registered, nothing has been done yet. However, the builders refute all charges and blame the flat owners for not paying them.
What8217;s worse, an occupation certificate has not been issued to the residents for the last seven years. As a result, the inhabitants have been paying four times higher the price for BMC water. They also have to contend with another threat: the civic body has served an auction notice to the building for non-payment of property taxes.
CRIME RATE: Despite the fact that the suburb is growing rapidly and the population keeps increasing, the cops have good news and say that crime is under control. The 16 officers and 157 constables keep a check on crime.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Sahebrao khankar says that there are a few stray incidents of house breaks in slum pockets. Vehicular accidents are also few. The only accident he recalled was in June when a college student died on the spot after falling in a 250 feet deep ravine near Kanheri caves at thenational park. There is a signboard warning visitors of the ravine but no one takes heed. The area is controlled by the Archeological Society of India. So the police has requested the ASI to fence the area. However, no action has been taken.
