Tilak Nagar caught between BMC-Mhada rift over sewage

Over 30,000 residents of Tilak Nagar, Chembur-West are bearing the brunt of inadequate sewage lines in the area. The sewerage for people residing in around 126 buildings post-redevelopment was originally meant for only a third of the residents, leading to frequent line bursts that inconvenience residents and put their health at risk.

The Tilak Nagar Welfare Association claims that whenever a sewage line bursts or springs a leak, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carries out temporary repairs or simply covers up the leak with cement.

According to the association, since the land belongs to Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) land and the administrative authority is the BMC, tussles between the two agencies have resulted in delays in infrastructure upgradation that is necessary during redevelopment.

“The colony came up on MHADA land in the 1960s with ground-plus-two floor buildings having not more than 36 people residing in one building. However, after 2000 it was decided that all the buildings in the colony would be redeveloped with BMC being the administrative authority. Till 2016, more than 80 percent of the buildings are redeveloped with 8 to 14 floor towers. This has increased the population thrice, with a minimum of100 residents per building. But the infrastructure has not been upgraded yet. The capacity of the sewage lines is for only a third of the total population,” said advocate Nitin Nikam, a resident and secretary of the Tilak Nagar Welfare Association.

“The drainage lines are overloaded, and with a rapidly increasing resident population, there are leakages at many places and frequent bursts. After complaining to the BMC, they repair the leaks on a temporary basis,” Nikam added.

“Since years we have written several letters to BMC- acknowledging Municipal Commissioner, M West ward officer, local corporator Deepa Parab, MLA Mangesh Kudalkar and MHADA’s Vice President and Chief Executive officer but they never reply. The corporator of the area Deepa Parab (Shiv Sena) never takes us into consideration while conducting any meetings with the BMC and MHADA authorities. We are suffering since years but the authorities are not bothered,” Adv Nikam said.

A senior MHADA officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “Every month, the BMC sends us the water bills of the colony. We pay them all the bills, which includes 50 percent charges for sewage treatment. BMC is the authority to upgrade roads, sewage system etc. We are not responsible in any case.”

According to an official BMC document, it was suggested that the infrastructure works would be carried out by the BMC and the cost for the same would bee paid by MHADA to the corporation. A draft policy was approved by the Municipal Commissioner in December 2014. Accordingly, the BMC has asked MHADA to pay Rs 50.79 crore to upgrade sewage lines at Tilak Nagar.