January 10, 2026: R-North ward, spanning Dahisar and parts of Borivali at the northern edge of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is undergoing rapid transformation as low-rise residential buildings give way to high-rise towers. While redevelopment has accelerated, residents say rising dust and pollution are taking a toll on air quality and public health, leaving many struggling to breathe amid construction activity.
Despite natural assets such as rivers, gardens and open spaces, locals allege that poor upkeep and delayed civic initiatives have weakened these areas as buffers against pollution. Projects like the long-pending revival of the Dahisar River and the maintenance of gardens, residents say, have not kept pace with the scale of redevelopment.
With BMC elections scheduled for January 15, residents are voicing concerns over inadequate monitoring of construction sites, encroachments on public spaces, missing footpaths and neglected gardens. Citizen activist Himanshu Mehta said, “The Air Quality Index (AQI) in this area has gone for a toss. There is absolutely no monitoring on these building redevelopment construction sites.” He added that basic measures such as water sprinkling are ignored and alleged civic apathy has led to rising health issues. “We are fortunate to have ample gardens and open spaces. But what’s the point of having plenty of garden spaces when trees within are dying due to complete neglect by the civic body,” Mehta said.
Residents also flag gaps in planning to support vertical growth. Gopal Zaveri of Mumbai March warned that infrastructure has not been upgraded to match rising occupancy. “Towers replacing residential buildings of three to four floors certainly means projected occupancy is likely to increase three times the current size,” he said, questioning readiness of water supply, roads and parking. He also noted that Bhagwati Hospital, the ward’s only civic hospital, is not operating at full capacity.
Redevelopment challenges extend to slum areas as well. Sunil Yadav of Sthaniya Samiti said, “Civic administration has failed to ensure better organised slums,” citing shortages of water and toilets in Ganpat Patil Nagar.
Frustration over delayed promises is widespread. Pankaj Trivedi of Mumbai March said river revival plans have lingered for over a decade. “Each time a new public representative comes with tall promises, but nobody has delivered on those,” he said, adding that local civic issues remain unresolved even as political alignments in the ward continue to shift.
