December 3, 2025: Despite being one of Mumbai’s highest property-tax contributors, the K West ward—covering Vile Parle (W), Andheri (W) and Jogeshwari (W)—continues to suffer from deteriorating infrastructure, civic neglect, and prolonged political instability. Residents describe an area burdened by traffic chaos, uncollected garbage, rampant encroachments, pothole-ridden roads, and failing public services. In 2024–25 alone, the ward generated ₹504 crore in property tax, the fourth-highest in Mumbai, with redevelopment poised to increase this amount further. Yet basic civic delivery remains among the city’s poorest.
Ruben Mascarenhas, Mumbai working president of the Aam Aadmi Party, said, “K West was the epitome of citizen participation but has descended into chaos. Without elected corporators, BMC governance is non-existent. Corruption is rampant. In Andheri (W) and Juhu, traffic is a mess, civic schools are shutting down, Cooper Hospital is overloaded due to non-functional primary health care centres.” He added that inadequate street lighting, missing footpaths, overflowing gutters and dismal sanitation in slums have pushed residents to frustration. “Blacklisted contractors are given the same contracts year after year… People are fed up. AAP will contest all seats in the city,” he said.
Encroachments such as the expanding Khau Gully near Lions SOL Marg continue unchecked. Chintan Singhvi said, “For two years we are begging, writing, meeting the MLA and corporators, tweeting, complaining – but the politicians do nothing. How can they expect people to vote for them?” Former corporator Yogiraj Dabhadkar said he has “personally supervised hawker removal at least 50 times”, but limited BMC resources prevent sustained action.
Redevelopment-related dust, construction congestion and years-old pending civic commitments further worsen the situation. Dhaval Shah of LOCA noted, “Where is the requisite infrastructure? Since 40 years, we are waiting for a promised fire station… The upkeep of roads is poor… It takes months to lay a road, and that too develops cracks in one week.”
Political leaders, however, cite ongoing projects and claim progress. BJP MLA Ameet Satam said, “K West… has seen a lot of development in the last 11 years… Projects like Lokhandwala Bridge and Andheri market redevelopment will take development to the next level.”
Residents and activists remain unconvinced as garbage backlogs, poor connectivity, pending bridges and unchecked encroachments continue to plague the ward.
Source: The Times of India
