Mumbai: Newly elected corporator of ward number 155 Snehal Shivkar has assured residents of the Bhakti Park township in Wadala that she will conduct a joint inspection of the township’s malfunctional sewage treatment plant (STP) with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials soon.
“Residents have complained to me about the STP not functioning properly for more than five years. I am pursuing the matter and will conduct a joint site inspection with BMC officials soon,” Shivkar told Hindustan Times.
The Bhakti Park township is home to nearly 4,500 people, spread across 22 buildings in four sectors.
Residents told HT there were two problems with the STP which caters to all the buildings – out of four pumps that suck in water into the STP, only one was partially functional; and the system which breaks down sludge or semi-solid, residual material in sewerage water was entirely non-functional.
Consequently, instances of sewer blockages and sludge backflow into internal pipelines are frequent, and a foul smell permeates the buildings, posing several health hazards, residents said.
Harwansh Khebri, a resident, said insect and rodent infestation had spiked sharply since the problem first appeared around five years ago.
“Our sewer lines run dangerously close to the buildings. Since cockroaches and rats breed in the gutters, the risk of contamination can’t be ruled out,” Khebri said.
Ivory Tower, the building where resides, alone spends nearly ₹1 lakh every six months on upkeep as the sewerage water damages the foundations and walls, he mentioned.
“The foul odour is constant,” said Ramesh Bhatia, 72, a resident of sector one.
Chanchal Negi, another resident, described the situation as “unbearable”.
“There is a persistent foul smell, unchecked insect infestation, and children are developing severe skin rashes and infections,” she said. “There are clear chances of disease if corrective steps are not taken soon.”
Residents said Ajmera Builders, the developer of the township, had earlier proposed restoring the STP at an estimated cost of ₹1 crore, but there had been no development thereafter despite repeated pleas. BMC officials also told them that since the STP fell within a private layout, it was under the developer’s and not the civic body’s purview.
Eager for a resolution, on February 8, the residents met Shivkar, the newly elected corporator, and demanded that Ajmera Builders either restore and maintain the STP or formally hand it over to the BMC for long-term operation and maintenance.
The corporator is likely to intervene with the developer alongside conducting a joint inspection with BMC officials, sources in the ward office said.
Repeated calls and messages to Ajmera Builders went unanswered.