April 2018 > A MonthlyNewsletter > For private circulation only

Action for good Governance & Networking in

Forward This To All - And All Forward - Together MP promises his F/North Ward Special MPLAD funds for Garbage Editorial Processing Wardwise special r. Rahul Shewale, MP issue of MMJ Mbelieves that it is not his is the first special acceptable for Mumbai's civic Tissue covering F/North administration to pass on to 1,000 tons of wet waste a day ward. citizens the responsibility of and give it to the Municipal It was decided that every dealing with wet waste. The Corporation of Greater alternate issue will cover a municipal administration has Mumbai (MCGM). particular ward and the ward threatened to cut off the He is willing also to use his co o rd in ato r will s en d power and water supply to own MPLAD funds or the CSR Supreme Court that two new materials on the ward cooperative societies and bulk funds of corporates to provide land filling sites would be including information that generators which produce 100 smaller composting machines identified. Nothing has would help the citizens of the kg wet waste per day if they do to cooperative housing happened, nor have machines ward with contacts etc. not segregate their waste and societies processing wet waste come up to turn the 3000 ton In this issue you will find compost the wet waste. The on their own premises in his per day garbage to power at articles on F/North ward, MP was speaking to Mr. Nikhil constituency. Deonar, despite tenders being corporators and even the Desai – AGNI Coordinator F floated thrice. member of parliament. Mr. Shewale is critical of the North ward. MCGM for passing on the The MP reminds MCGM that I am sure this will be a real Our city is divided into seven their own land is available near informative issue for F/North responsibility of handling wet zones, each zone generating seven sewage treatment plants ward citizens. waste to housing societies who about 1,000 tons of waste a generate it. It is the MCGM's (STP) in Mumbai where the This will also energise garbage processing machines day. Mr. Shewale who responsibility as they collect coordinators and volunteers, could be installed. The wet represents Mumbai South the taxes, he said. apart from giving information waste of an entire zone can be o f t h e w a r d f o r i t s Central (Dadar, Matunga, Sion, The state government and the processed there. MMJ betterment. Mahim and ), has MCGM have known for three Finally to get all issues of offered to buy from his MP years that the city's three All-woman station at MMJ, please send your email Local Area Development Fund dumping grounds can take no Matunga: a first for id to [email protected] MMJ (MPLAD) a machine to process more – even assured the Indian Railways Guest Editorial Know elected representatives' plans, demand your rights l o t i s special at Nikhil Desai - F/North Ward Coordinator A M a t u n g a North ward was reserved from various authorities like sanctioned to Central Railway Fby the city's early planners the BMC, police and traffic prevent that. The S t a t i o n : a for its middle classes and police to implement the laws courts have ruled spanking new educational institutions. of the land. And when they fail that good roads ladies toilet and a woman station Today's citizens demand the to implement, the courts help a n d manager with her staff of 42 same, something echoed by citizens by passing strict encroachment- women including railway police. “We deserve a place in the Limca this issue of Mumbai Meri Jaan. orders. f r e e f o o t p a t h s a r e a Book of Records,” says Ms. Mamta We highlight some achieve- fundamental right. When citizens take the first Kulkarni, the Station Manager, ments of our local authorities step to vote (less than 50% do For all these reasons AGNI believes that citizens must act. speaking to Mr. Nikhil Desai, AGNI and some to come. so) but take no further F North Coordinator. Election and voting are just interest, the system derails. So in this special issue on F/N ward I have met the elected “I will be here for, say, three the first steps in having a That is why we see, rampant representatives of our area and years,” she says “and in this time democracy. There are more, cooking on footpaths against t h e h e a d s o f v a r i o u s I will make it a better place than like knowing the plans of our Supreme Court orders. That is organisations. I hope you will when I joined it.” An escalator to elected MP, MLA and corpo- why we see hawkers within enjoy reading about their replace the tiring walk up the rators and how they plan to 150 metres of railway stations achievements and plans which stairs leading to the foot improve our area. For these despite a High Court order. they have placed before those overbridge has been sanctioned. changes we need regular That is why the same areas are with the power to enact them – It will benefit the 60,000 interaction with our elected flooded in the monsoons year and, hopefully, you will join the passengers served daily by the representatives wherein we after year, despite huge drive for a better life in F North station. Free WiFi is also to be provided. can also demand our rights B r i m s t o w a d b u d g e t s ward. MMJ MMJ 2 Mumbai Meri Jaan April 2018 Swachha Mumbai Abhiyaan Corporator Amey Ghole gets 97 buildings Municipal pressure together to build a compost pit r. A m e y G h o l e , Greater reduces city garbage by Mcorporator of Ward 178, Mumbai F North ward, got 97 buildings as well as 2,300 tons per day in Sahakar Nagar Wadala for laying ction by the Municipal together for composting wet g r a s s Corporation of Greater waste. Financing has come lawns in A Mumbai (MCGM) has cut the from his own Corporator’s a l l t h e amount of garbage going to the Fund. gardens city's dumping grounds by “I am proud to say that so i n h i s 2,300 tons per day according to many families agreed to install, c o n - an MCGM spokesperson, Mr. and then maintain, such a large stituency. Ram Dotonde. pit” he said. The space was “I count as an achievement The MCGM made it Composting Machine contributed by 45 buildings and the building of three public mandatory for city's bulk inauguration at 52 buildings will maintain it. toilets”, he said, “and generators of garbage to follow Swaminarayan Temple Mr. Ghole adds that a foul- renovating ten others.” He Solid Waste Management smelling and filthy area below installed a sanitary pad identified 40 generators of bulk (SWM) Rules: segregate the Nana Jagannath Sheth flyover vending machine in a public waste and induced them to garbage and compost the wet at Dadar TT will be transformed toilet. compost wet garbage on their waste on their own premises as into a garden with a walk-way. Mr. Ghole emphasized that own premises: Educational they must. He has obtained a budget hawkers have no place in institutes like Don Bosco Deonar, Mulund and allocation to do so from the spaces meant for citizens. MMJ School, Ruia College, VJTI, Kanjurmarg, the city's three Wellingkar Institute, Matunga Twenty five year old dumping grounds are at Gymkhana, Indian Gymkhana saturation point. Two new ones and Dadar Parsee Gymkhana, encroachments to go exist only on paper. Waste Shanmukanda Hall, Tamil generators were told they Sangam Hall and the Sion or the last twenty-five completion, out-station could lose their power and Hospital. Also, big housing years, 102 hutments have S h i v n e r i F water supply. Three Acts come societies like Dosti Acres, been occupying footpaths on Buses will no into play: The Mumbai Highway Apartments, Avanti Tilak Road extension. Of these, longer need Municipal Corporation Act, The and Kalpatru Residency have residents of 78 eligible to be parked Mumbai Regional Town already begun composting in structures (pre-2000) will, after under Dadar P l a n n i n g A c t a n d T h e their premises. r e m o v a l , g e t f r e e TT flyover. Environment Protection Act. This project The Shree Swaminarayan accommodation in M East The city is in a waste Mandir has installed on their awaits National Textile ward. Another lot of 76 management crisis. Waste own premises an Excel Com- Corporation clearance of hutments also dating back 25 segregation in homes is pany composting machine of years, which had encroached setback land for the Municipal important enough. But the role 300 kg per day capacity which on footpaths of G.D. Ambekar Corporation of Greater of bulk generators is as vital. was inaugurated by Asst. Marg, have already been Mumbai (MCGM). The F North ward office has Municipal Commissioner, F removed. Residents of 58 Traffic jams on Antop Hill and North ward, Keshav Ubale,.MMJ the surrounding areas of h u t m e n t s h a v e b e e n millimetres in diameter will be Wadala will soon be history. Amey Ghole orga- rehabilitated. This action was installed at the ward officer's Shaikh Mistry Dargah road is to the F/North Asst. Municipal initiative (718 metres long). It nises citizens’ meet be widened. Road Line (RL: Commissioner, Mr. Keshav will carry rainwater from Jain fixing road width) of the Ubale, as told to Nikhil Desai, Society to nullah. project was passed in 1966. AGNI Ward Coordinator, The most ambitious project F/North. The Indian Army has been involves an even larger pump Road widening is a perennial r e q u i r e d t o r e l e a s e near Mahul Outfall under the challenge in F North ward. approximately 850 square Brimstowad Project. When metres of land to turn history Result: Traffic Jams. Some ready, it will save from flooding mey Ghole arranged a into reality. projects were passed nearly 70% of F North ward as well as Acitizens meeting with the The F North ward will also some localities in wards L, M half a century ago but not taken authorities so that they could attack flooding in chronically East and M West. The project up – till now. intereact and redress their affected areas before the a w a i t s t h e C e n t r a l Work has started on a project grievances. coming monsoon. Huge pipes Government's handing over of passed in 1971 to widen Dr. B A The meeting was attended will relieve flooding at Jain Salt Pan land to MCGM for Road near the Fire Brigade among others contd. on pg. 4 station at Dadar. After Society in Sion where 2,200 installation of the pump. MMJ Mumbai Meri Jaan April 2018 3 A new face for Sion? The Mr. Ravi Raja - voice Corporator speaks of the opposition s . R a j e s h r e e removed illegal he Sion Hospital is in a School in GTB MShirwadkar, the re- hawkers from the Tmess, says Mr. Ravi Raja Nagar, will stop elected Corporator from Sion Gandhi Market (Congress), Leader of the the flooding. He area, has plans for her area and will allow Opposition in the Municipal wants a new constituency which include the no more encroach-ments. Corporation of Greater parking lot at clean-up of the Sion pond to Ms. Shirwadkar plans to Mumbai (MCGM) and a Sion Koliwada, Antop Hill area m a k i n g S i o n a t o u r i s t change the oddity of two Corporator of F North ward. He where people can park and attraction. She wants to give police stations in the same was speaking about one of catch the Monorail. He is the contract to a German premises: Matunga and Sion. Mumbai's major hospitals (run pushing to get it done by the Company which will desilt the The Chief Minister's office and by the MCGM) to AGNI Mumbai Metropolitan Region pond and return it to its pristine the Collector Mumbai City Coordinator, F North ward, Mr Development Authority where state. h a v e a g r e e d a n d t h e Nikhil Desai. he sits on the Board. She has also requested the Commissioner of Police's “There are often two patients Mr Ravi Raja said the MCGM Chief Minister to sanction facilitation is now awaited. The to a bed!” he said, “There's no h a n d l e s S o l i d W a s t e funds to repair and renovate Sion Police station will move to cleanliness. The hospital needs Management haphazardly. the much neglected Sion Fort the Eastern Express Highway upgradation in every sense. “When it mixes wet and dry after which sound-and-light near Chunnabhatti. There is space for a multi- waste in their trucks on the way shows could be organised at Dalvi Garden has been storey building here. The to dumping grounds, how can the fort. She believes Sion improved at a cost of Rs. 1.5 MCGM should break its huge it force housing societies to could become a tourist Crore after being the haunt of fixed deposit to build this and segregate garbage?” he asks. attraction, instead of the anti-social elements for 11 not a Coastal Road, which is Mr Raja said there should be squalid neighbourhood it now years. Now, about a 1,000 state government business an MCGM market in every is. persons use it daily for anyway.” c o r p o r a t o r w a r d t o recreation and sport. “I play She stated that she has Parking and flooding are a c co m m o d ate h aw ke rs . badminton there,” she says, problems, like everywhere in Mukundrao Ambedkar Marg Nehal Shah wants “because it is well-lit and safe the ward. A big new storm can be a hawking zone in his now.” Shrikant Doshi Garden is constituency he said to go underground water drain near Guru Nanak MMJ to decongest next. MMJ J E on his site visit Crime rate drops in Matunga drivers. parking r. P o l i c e I n s p e c t o r to confuse senior citizens with Sr. Inspector Kakad said that a s . N e h a l S h a h , SBalasaheb H. Kakad of currency note colours. This police staff of 207 served MCorporator of Matunga Matunga Police cheating / looting has been around 2 lakh residents in his (Ward 177) S t a t i o n , i n a stopped by the Matunga police station area and one lakh of wants a large recent talk with with the arrest of 60 to 70 taxi floating population mainly underground A G N I , s a i d students. MMJ p a r k i n g “Matunga is a p r o j e c t i n much more peaceful area than AGNI Ward Coordinators f r o n t o f my previous posting in Dharavi M a t u n g a police station.” He added that C e n t r a l the crime had declined in Railway Station. “It will Matunga in recent years: completely decongest the Chain-snatching FIRs had Matunga Market area,” she dropped from 86 in 2011 to nil said. “Feasibility studies will be in 2017, house-breaking FIRs done this year.” from 37 in 2014 to 15 and car In her first year as a thefts from 48 in 2014 to 31. corporator of ward 177, her No murders were reported in focus has been to get basic 2017. amenities for middle class B e a t M a r s h a l s o n citizens in Punjab Colony and motorcycles and in jeeps have Sion-Koliwada. She has deterred lawbreakers. One f a c i l i t a t e d 6 1 w a t e r hundred plus CCTV cameras connections and repaired the i n sta l l e d b y t h e s tate drains and gully passages using government and 500 plus her Corporator's Fund. cameras in hotels, shops and Ms. Nehal Shah helped homes have done their job, prevent encroachment on persuaded by SI Kakad. footpaths below Tilak Bridge Taxi drivers from Dadar (East) with the construction of a 'Strip Railway Station once fitted Garden'. MMJ blue lights inside their vehicles 4 Mumbai Meri Jaan April 2018

AGNI and PCGT file PIL in Mumbai High Court Important contact F/North Ward GNI and Public Concern “The city came to a crippling halt, numbers Afor Governance Trust have public property was destroyed, filed a PIL in the Bombay High the ordinary citizen's daily routine Court (HC) against the State of was disrupted and several people , The Director died. The bandh was called in General of Police (DGP), violation of judgments of this HC Commissioner of Police (CP), and the Supreme Court.” Mumbai, Bharipa Bahujan The special counsel representing Mahasangh, Republican Party the DGP, CP and state, Hiten of India (RPI), Bahujan Mukti Venegaonkar pointed out to the Pa r t y ( B M P ) , B a u d h j a n bench, “Investigations have begun Panchayat Samiti (BPS), Shivraj and in Mumbai alone 74 First Pratisthan and Samasta Hindu Information Reports (FIRs) have Aghadi. been filed, few arrests too have The petitioners are been made. The sections applied represented by D M Sukthankar are bailable, but action has been (AGNI Chairman and former taken,” said Venegaonkar. He Chief Secretary), Julio Ribeiro added, “In such a case however, (former Commissioner of the court will also have to direct Police), Shyama Kulkarni, someone to quantify the total loss Gerson da Cunha (both AGNI or damage to property caused in Tr u s t e e s ) a n d o t h e r s , the incident,” Venegaonkar said. supported by AGNI. The The bench asked the divisional bench of Justices government pleader to make their Shantanu Khemkar and stand clear in an application to be Makarand Karnik is hearing this placed before the bench. The F/ North Corporators PIL. The constitutional validity bench also issued notices to the No. Name Phone No. email 172 Smt. Rajeshree Shirwadkar 9869852149 [email protected] and legality of the bandh called Maharashtra government over a 173 Shri Ramdas Kamble 9819523159 [email protected] on January 2 and 3, by Prakash Public Interest Litigation seeking 174 Smt. Krushnaveni V. Reddy 9321221692 [email protected] Ambedkar, the President of punitive action against Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar and 175 Shri Mangesh S. Satamkar 9769656248 [email protected] Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh other participants of the state- 176 Shri Ravi Raja 9820047803 [email protected] has been challenged. wide bandh called in the 177 Smt. Nehal Shah 9820367744 [email protected] The petitioners stated, 'The aftermath of the Bhima Koregaon 178 Shri Amey A. Ghole 9820893792 [email protected] bandh affected the state and violence in January this year. The 179 Shri Sufiyan Niyaj Ahmad 9833299067 [email protected] the Public Exchequer incurred a court has given special counsel 180 Smt. Smita S. Gaonkar 9930589888 [email protected] loss, in Mumbai alone, to the four weeks to file a reply. 181 Smt. Pushpa Krushna Koli 9324157071 [email protected] tune of Rs 800 -1000 crores.' MMJ Board of Trustees De-recognised ALMs get another shot Amey Ghole orga- Chairman & Managing Trustee n February 2018, a total of 131 out nises citizens’ meet D. M. Sukthankar Iof 276 ALMs were deregistered. contd. from pg 1 by M.P. Rahul Many of these were actively Shewale, Ex-Mayor Shraddha Convenor Gerson da Cunha segregating garbage and a few were Jadhav, Senior Inspectors also honoured by the ward officers. B a n s o d e Trustees raise other civic-related AGNI therefore wrote to Chief (RAK), Bala- Capt. Joe Lobo issues at meetings. “De- Dinesh Ahir Minister, Devendra Fadnavis. registering them is not a saheb Kakad Sharad Kumar Promptly the CM intervened and (Matunga) Shyama Kulkarni asked the municipal commissioner to solution. The BMC needs to and traffic give the derecognized ALMs one impose a fine on societies that Editorial Board more chance to improve. do not segregate waste, and police. Citizens from Ward 178 Sharad Kumar [Editor] A meeting for AGNI with the BMC give an incentive to those Shrikant Soman [Asstt. Editor] Commissioner Ajoy Mehta was composting also to inspire Wadala and Parsi colony also Gerson daCunha arranged by MLA Ashish Shelar. others. Glad BMC has attended the meeting. Shyama Kulkarni Pamela Cheema Mehta agreed to re-enrol the 131 restored the registration of Former Mayor, Shraddha Email: [email protected] ALMs willing to participate in waste the ALMs and will work on Jadhan and Rahul Shewale segregation, on a case-by-case basis. Published by waste segregation with the assured the meeting of their AGNI “We will monitor their work for three BMC.” MMJ cooperation. MMJ Chadha Bldg. 1st Flr, Plot No. 95, to six months,” said the BMC chief. Wadala (W), Mumbai - 400031 Shyama Kulkarni, AGNI trustee, who [email protected] We thank the undermentioned Donors Ph: 2416 5956 was in the forefront of the launch of for their contributions https://sites.google.com/site/ag ALMs, said ALM manuals state that nimumbaimerijaan/ although their main purpose is to received in March 2018:- Printed at help the civic body with waste Mr. Gerson daCunha Rs. 15,000/= Audumber Press, Wadala management, members can also Mr. Vijay Menon Rs.5,000/=