December 22, 2025: Despite being home to some of Mumbai’s most influential residents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s D ward continues to struggle with persistent civic and infrastructure challenges. Spread across six electoral wards (214 to 219), D ward includes iconic neighbourhoods such as Malabar Hill, Breach Candy, Nana Chowk and the heritage precinct of Khotachiwadi. Maharashtra’s chief minister, governor, Mumbai’s municipal commissioner and leading industrialists reside here, earning it a distinct VIP status.
Yet, residents say everyday issues mirror those faced across the city. With no elected corporators for nearly four years, deteriorating roads, encroached footpaths, inadequate parking and a proliferation of political banners have become common. Rapid redevelopment and large infrastructure projects have intensified anxieties about congestion, loss of open spaces and pressure on civic amenities.
“Despite the ward having a high profile, the quality of Napean Sea Road is bad, and we even lack adequate footpaths where people can walk safely. Lack of parking spaces, even inside our buildings, has become a big problem, but the biggest crisis in our ward is the high number of unlicensed hawkers, who have taken over every conceivable space, including our walkways,” said Vinay Punjabi, a local resident and member of the Napean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum.
Civic data shows that D ward also has at least 15 landslide-prone locations, with settlements along hill slopes. Expressing concern over construction in Malabar Hill, resident Pervin Sanghvi said, “Being geologically vulnerable, we are extremely worried about the rampant and unbalanced high-rise constructions being sanctioned on it… To maintain the locality’s existing quality of life, the conservation of trees on the plots of buildings going under redevelopment is very crucial.”
The ward contains 25 open spaces, including August Kranti Maidan, Priyadarshini Park and Kamala Nehru Park. Recent proposals, such as a reservoir at Hanging Gardens that could have affected 389 trees, have heightened fears of shrinking green cover. In the eastern pockets of Khetwadi and Grant Road East, voters flag encroachments and sanitation as pressing issues.
Politically, D ward remains BJP-dominated, with four of six seats held by the party after shifts in allegiance. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant expressed confidence of retaining ward 216, stating, “We are confident that we will be contesting as well as winning from the 216 seat, wherein our candidate had won the last time.”
Source: The Indian Express
