June 20, 205: In a welcome move for residents of Chandivli’s Sangharsh Nagar, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday initiated a week-long crackdown on self-help groups (SHGs) responsible for sanitation under the Swachh Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan (SMPA). The action follows mounting complaints about waste-choked streets and alleys in the area, home to around 12,000 people.
Under the intensified clean-up drive, agencies must now submit daily staff attendance records and progress reports to the BMC’s L Ward office, which oversees Sangharsh Nagar. Non-compliance or unsatisfactory performance will attract fines in accordance with SMPA guidelines. Officials confirmed that contracts of defaulting SHGs may be terminated, with replacement agencies ready to step in.
The crackdown was prompted after mid-day highlighted the persistent sanitation issues in Thursday’s edition. Following the report, L Ward Assistant Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar instructed ward officers to act swiftly. Notices were immediately sent to the responsible SHGs, warning them of possible contract cancellation if work remained incomplete.
Sangharsh Nagar, which houses families rehabilitated from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) over 15 years ago, is colloquially referred to as a “vertical slum.” This categorisation makes the area eligible for dedicated services under SMPA.
Mandeep Singh, founder of the Chandivli Citizens Welfare Association, noted that SMPA guidelines clearly lay out responsibilities for SHGs, including not only sanitation but awareness-building activities. “It is not just about rewards for good work. There are penalties for failing to clean roads, drains, and toilet blocks. What the ward is doing now should have been standard procedure all along,” he said.
While residents allege that previous clean-up efforts were merely cosmetic, they expressed optimism. “We’re just glad that proper cleaning has finally begun,” said Gaja Kosh, a long-time resident of Sangharsh Nagar.
Source: Mid-day
