This is because the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is not paying any heed to their demand that a dangerous road which leads from the jetty there to the village be repaired.
Residents of Gorai village in Borivli's R/Central ward have alleged that even though they are considered a part of Mumbai and are included in R/Central ward, civic authorities are meting out a step-motherly treatment to them.
This is because the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is not paying any heed to their demand that a dangerous road which leads from the jetty there to the village be repaired. Everyday, villagers face the risk of falling into a culvert running beneath the road, since the road has become weak and can give away at any point.
Rossi D'souza, the Mobai Gaothan panchayat sarpanch, who has been following this issue for the past two years, is now upset with the way the civic body is making him run pillar to post just for the repair of that one road. "We have a population of more than 15,000 villagers and at least 1,200 to 1,300 of them use this road regularly. The road can prove to be fatal if vehicles travel on it from both sides and a driver decides to move towards one edge, since it would then simply cave in. A person can fall directly into the culvert, which has huge cement pipes placed under the road. The road is slowly and steadily giving away," D'souza said, adding that since the villagers know that the road is dangerous, they keep that fact in mind. But, it may happen that people forget this same fact when they are in a rush, he said.
D'souza further said that the road leading from Gorai Jetty to Gorai Village is surrounded by thick mangroves. During high tide, water flows from the north to the south through the water gates and pipes under the road, and during low tide it returns from the south to the north. "Also, apart from the villagers including students and office-goers who regularly use this road, there are collegians and tourists who visit the beach on their bikes. At least 200-250 bikers use this road on weekends and their safety — as well as that of picnickers — is my primary concern. No one should lose their life or get harmed in any way," D'souza said.
He added that the civic body has funds to repair the road, but are not using it for the purpose. "We don't understand the reason behind this apathy towards our civic welfare. Our roads are not done, taps are running dry and whatever little water is supplied to us is insufficient. A water cut was imposed recently, but in Gorai we have water cuts throughout the year. People have to walk more than half a kilometre everyday to fetch two buckets of water.
There are no sewage lines for us. What do the civic authorities expect us to do? Should we take to the streets even for our basic rights?" D'souza questioned.
A civic official from the road department confirmed that the issue has been pending and has not been taken up yet. "Recently, a proposal for work on 51 roads was approved by the standing committee. This road was not included in the same. Even the ward concerned is yet to send us a request," he said.
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