Mumbai gridlock: Protesters camp, cook, urinate on streets; BMC scales up services | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: With the CSMT area lined with protestors and their vehicles, weekend sales in the commercial hubs around Crawford Market took a beating as festival shoppers stayed away in fear. A motorist posted how his car was blocked by a mob near CSMT that banged on the bonnet and windows while raising slogans. Protestors took over the streets for cooking, bathing and washing, even hanging their clothes on traffic lights. Food packets lay strewn along roads. BMC set up more dustbins and deputed staff to three-shift duties to tackle mounting waste. Waste strewn on streets, protesters urinate in openGarbage lay strewn as protesters filled the area around CSMT over the weekend. Many motorists avoided taking their cars to south Mumbai in view of the massive crowds, forcing businesses in the precinct to take a hit. Some protesters even walked into a five-star hotel in Colaba and a clothing store in Kala Ghoda with banners. Eyewitnesses said they went into the hotel to use the bathrooms and sat in the lobby for some time. Some popular restaurants in the area also shut early. Many protesters were seen urinating on public buildings, enveloping the area in a stench, despite BMC scaling up services, including provision of more mobile toilets.While BMC expected around 5,000 protesters on day 1, nearly 30,000 thronged Azad Maidan over three days, forcing it to activate emergency mode to scale up services. On day 1, the shortfall was glaring-there just weren’t enough water tankers and toilets, leaving protesters scrambling for basic amenities. By the third day, BMC went into an overdrive: water tankers increased from six to 25, and sanitation and maintenance manpower swelled from 119 to 1,125 as staff from four additional wards were pulled in. Waste management also saw urgent fixes. With food packets strewn across streets, 100 extra dustbins were installed, and BMC workers were deputed to three-shift duties to keep pace with the mounting garbage.Toilet facilities were initially expanded with 236 portable units and 40 mobile toilets at Azad Maidan; 50 more were added on Sunday, besides 60 in the port area. Medical aid was also ramped up. A 24×7 help desk, four medical teams and four ambulances were stationed at the protest site. Nair Hospital deployed a team, while beds were readied at GT, Nair, KEM, Bombay, St George’s and JJ hospitals, said officials. Over 1,000 protesters have been treated for ailments, they said. Officials said mud accumulated due to rain at Azad Maidan was also cleared. Two truckloads of stones were laid at entry points to level pathways. “Adequate lighting has been ensured at Azad Maidan, especially in the evenings and at night. Three high-beam floodlights mounted on fire brigade vehicles have been installed. Large numbers of BMC staff from different departments are continuously working at the protest site to provide civic services. Protesters are requested to cooperate with them,” said BMC.BMC is now bracing for more demands on its already stretched resources. “Most protesters are being provided with food packets and water bottles. We have also distributed garbage bags. We plan to rope in labourers on a contractual basis from Monday from a private agency. This will bring in another 500 labourers on the ground. The regular ward-level staffers have to also look at Ganpati immersions,” said an official.