Meet Tushar Kolabkar, the lesser-known BMC official of A-ward, who has built a splendid reputation for himself
All year round, we complain about how the city of Mumbai has gone to the dogs. We wake up to news about crime, illegal buildings, poorly maintained infrastructure, potholed roads, illegal hawkers, badly managed heritage sites and the list goes on.
But this being the first edition of 2015, dna downtown decided to begin on a positive note. We visited the BMC wards in South Mumbai and combed out good officers, who have been silently working hard. After much scrutiny of the BMC wards in South Mumbai, dna downtown declares Tushar Kolabkar as the shining star of A-ward.
Tushar Kolabkar, Assistant Engineer, Maintenance Department Kolabkar joined A-ward in September 2012 but his stupendous work record dates to a few years before that. Before joining A-ward, Kolabkar was posted in D-ward, where he lead a team for the Nepean Sea Road widening project. Many would remember that this project took a tedious one year to reach completion; it was particularly arduous as it involved cutting into the buildings and bungalows in the area.
Kolabkar shares, "It was a difficult job as it involved pacifying the residents and convincing them about the need to widen the road. Some of these residents included top lawyers and politicians of the city so naturally, pacifying them took a lot of effort. A court case was also registered for the same, so it took longer to get a clearance, but we finally managed."
Chandrashekhar Chore, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, A-ward, is extremely proud of Kolabkar. He shares, "Kolabkar is a down-to-earth person and is extremely sincere in his work. He goes the extra mile to complete his work. Presently, he is handling multiple projects with remarkable alacrity. His Nepean Sea Road project involved major efforts, which he carried out with great fervour. Apart from the case hearings, he also ensured that the 76 trees that were removed for the widening of the road were replanted in other areas."
Spearheading projects
Kolabkar almost always has his plate full when it comes to projects in the pipeline. Some of the highlights of his work include the beautification and re-modelling of streets and areas around Metro Cinema and Fashion street; giving a makeover to the Fashion Street; beautifying the area around the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and the Gateway of India.
Chore shares, "All these projects are on paper currently and Kolabkar has been doing a lot of research and implementation work. The projects would roll out soon and when they happen, it would be new and exciting for all of us. The pedestrian policy would be implemented completely, which is unique."
According to Chore, another project that Kolabkar deserves accolades for is the road widening of Woodland Society during his tenure at D-ward. This work entailed detailed research work, technical nitty-gritty and coordination with residents.
Chore sheds light on the subject, saying, "The society wall was very close to the road, narrowing it and worsening the traffic situation at Kemps Corner. The members refused to let us cut into the compound space giving the reason that it will compromise the safety of the building; they felt that it wasn't safe to do any technical work. The residents filed a case, which was followed with case hearings. However, a thorough technical research related to the foundation of the building and the engineering aspects were carried out and presented to the court. All of this proved that the widening of the road did not pose a threat to the overall structure of the building."
pooja.patel@dnaindia.net
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