Mumbai: The BMC-Railways cold war just got a whole lot nastier

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai May 19, 2016: The BMC will ‘go’ wherever it wants to, even if it is on Railways land. Two months after the Railways unceremoniously demolished a public toilet in Bandra, saying it was encroaching on their land, the corporation is determined to once again construct the toilet at the same spot.

 

 

The toilet was being built by the civic body as part of the nationwide Swachh Bharat Mission. The BMC was just halfway through building the new pay-and-use toilet under the Bandra East skywalk, when Western Railway demolished the structure without giving the BMC any prior notification. Miffed, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta wrote a strongly worded letter to the Railways condemning the act. WR responded that it had not been informed about the construction of the toilet and also stated it would not let the BMC squat on its land.

However, the matter did not end there. The corporation continues to push for the construction of the toilet at the same spot and the H/East ward office informed WR of its intentions in another letter on May 9. The civic body explained that it has been directed to construct a large number of toilets in the city in an attempt to curb defecation in the open – a major sanitation issue that continues to plague the country.

The civic body has cited a letter from the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) dated December 27, 2015, which states that it is not mandatory to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the land owner since toilets are a public utility. Therefore, the BMC did not notify the Railways last time. The BMC stated that this time it was notifying the Railways anyway.

 

“In view of above circular and considering urgency of public toilet under SBM, this office has asked M/s Sarang Seva Sanstha to start construction of pay and use toilet on the site,” the BMC letter adds.

BMC speak
Prashant Gaikwad, the assistant municipal commissioner of H/East ward, told mid-day that WR had responded to their letter just yesterday, objecting to the toilet on the grounds that it would leave little space for pedestrians. “We have started demolishing the broken portions of the earlier toilet. I have been told that WR has responded, citing the issue of passenger inconvenience. But most passengers from the area use the skywalk. Besides, we are leaving a 2-foot space for pedestrians. We will now convey this to them in writing. Let us see what they say,” he said. He added that the toilet will be constructed in the space between two pillars of the skywalk and, hence, will not inconvenience passengers. However, the final decision will be taken by the BMC chief, said Gaikwad.