Andheri-W’s ward powers city coffers but suffers crumbling infrastructure | Mumbai News

Despite being one of Mumbai’s biggest property-tax generators, K West ward is buckling under civic neglect, crumbling infrastructure and political inaction. Residents across Vile Parle (W), Andheri (W), and Jogeshwari (W), which make up the ward, describe neighbourhoods where years of civic apathy, political churn and infrastructural neglect have turned bustling streets into a maze of traffic bottlenecks, uncollected garbage, unchecked encroachments, pothole-ridden roads and collapsing public services.In 2024-25 alone, K West contributed Rs 504 crore in property taxes, the fourth-highest in the city. Soaring redevelopment suggests it may soon top the list. Yet this high-value ward remains one of the city’s most poorly served. “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,” said Ruben Mascarenhas, Mumbai working president of Aam Aadmi Party. “Street lighting is poor, footpaths non-existent and gutters overflowing. Blacklisted contractors are given the same contracts year after year. In slums, toilet-to-people ratios are pathetic. People are fed up. AAP will contest all seats in the city.”A saffron wave saw BJP’s tally rise from three corporators in 2012 to seven in 2017. Shiv Sena conversely dropped from seven to three. Where 2012 had a healthy balance of Sena, Congress, MNS and independent winners, 2017 was unidirectional.

Highland Park and neighbouring societies along Lions SOL Marg have been crying hoarse about Khau Gully where food stalls have proliferated with gas cylinders kept dangerously on the footpath. By night, scores of trucks, tempos, tankers and containers are parked on the dimly lit road. Chintan Singhvi of the local residents’ association 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”. “Unfortunately they keep returning because BMC has limited vehicles across K West.”Redevelopment and the resultant construction-related pollution is another problem. Entire lanes in Lokhandwala Complex have midget buildings being replaced by 40-storey towers. Dhaval Shah of residents association LOCA said, “Where is the requisite infrastructure? Since 40 years, we are waiting for a promised fire station at Chitrakoot Ground and a post office in Lokhandwala. The upkeep of roads is poor. So is garbage clearance — causing an eyesore in several areas. Infrastructure upgrade is lacking. It takes months to lay a road, and that too develops cracks in one week.”Interminable traffic jams and poor connectivity result from decades of political neglect. Motorists spend hours stuck in traffic. BEST bus connectivity and frequency is absymal. Dhaval Shah cited a list of long-pending infrastructure projects. “Bridges like Versova-SVP Nagar, Mrinaltai Goregaon and Thackeray flyovers, and the promised bridge over Oshiwara river remain a pipedream. The transit dump yard on Lokhandwala Back Road is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Pigeon feeding continues unabated.”In reply, Dabhadkar said various roads and bridges including a JVLR connector are on the way to completion in eight-nine months. “We have also opened a large BMC parking lot near Runwal building. Post office falls within the Centre’s purview but I am pursuing the fire station issue actively.” City BJP chief and local MLA Ameet Satam said, “K West, especially Andheri (W), has seen a lot of development in the last 11 years in terms of gardens, roads, community participation in the governance process and uplift of iconic public locations like Juhu Beach and Gilbert Hill. Projects like Lokhandwala Bridge and Andheri market redevelopment will take development to the next level.”Former corporator Devendra Amberkar (Sena UBT) said one can scarcely walk amidst the heaps of garbage that litter Lokhandwala Back Road, Behrambaug in Jogeshwari and Model Town in Seven Bungalows where he lives. “BMC does not have enough garbage vans so they sometimes arrive just once in three days. Meanwhile as trash piles up, more people dump stuff there.”The Keep Juhu Clean movement recently briefed civic agencies on illegal hoardings, broken pavements and encroachments. Activist Ashoke Pandit said, “Politicians cannot deface the city with illegal banners. We don’t want their birthdays on our roads.” Former corporator Rohan Rathod said he cleared mangrove encroachments at Seven Bungalows and beautified the wall. “Hawkers are a challenge, but proper hawking zones and representation on the town vending committee will help,” he said. Former corporator Aneesh Makwaaney, whose ward is now reserved for women, added, “Low-rise buildings are being replaced by towers, but basic infrastructure – water, drainage, parking – has not kept pace.”