January 6, 2026: As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections approach, concerns over Mumbai’s environment, infrastructure, roads, and public services have moved to the centre of political debate. Reflecting growing public unease, the city-based Watchdog Foundation has unveiled a detailed 12-point manifesto that places environmental protection and urban liveability at the heart of civic governance.
Tree conservation and large-scale plantation form a cornerstone of the group’s proposals. Citing poor implementation of existing green policies, the Foundation has called for an ambitious ward-wise plantation drive. “Every year, the government comes out with circulars that call for tree plantation, but we seldom see them followed through, especially when it comes to the maintenance of trees. This is why I have asked for ward-wise plantation of at least 1,00,000 trees every year, to save our green cover and air quality,” said Nicholas Almeida, a member of the Watchdog Foundation.
River pollution has also emerged as a major concern. Drawing comparisons with successful urban renewal projects elsewhere, Almeida questioned Mumbai’s lack of progress on cleaning its rivers. “If other cities can, why can’t Mumbai? The Ahmedabad riverfront has doubled as a way of keeping the river clean while creating a common space for the public. We can model Mumbai’s four rivers after this, too. How long will we call Mithi the ‘black river’?” he said.
Beyond environmental measures, the manifesto outlines reforms aimed at easing congestion and improving the quality of life. These include incentivising public transport, restricting commercial vehicle movement during peak hours, removing footpath encroachments, addressing illegal parking, and installing nets over nullahs to prevent waste dumping. The document also advocates formal hawker rehabilitation, development of sports complexes, redevelopment of airport slums, and property tax waivers for residents of Koliwadas and Adivasi Padas.
The Watchdog Foundation plans to share the manifesto with all candidates contesting the civic polls. Meanwhile, Almeida himself will enter the fray as an independent candidate from the K East ward, positioning environmental accountability and infrastructure reform as key electoral issues in Mumbai’s civic future.
