Mumbai's K-West administrative ward, a stark mosaic of multi-crore apartments, film star bungalows, and sprawling slums, finds itself in a paradoxical crisis. Despite being a top revenue generator for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), contributing a substantial Rs 504 crore as property tax in the financial year 2024-25, the area is grappling with a severe decline in basic civic management.
Revenue Giant, Civic Dwarf: The Core Contradiction
Spread across the western parts of Vile Parle, Andheri, and Jogeshwari, the K-West ward is home to over 6.5 lakh voters. Its landscape includes affluent localities like Juhu, Versova, and Lokhandwala. The ward's Rs 504 crore property tax contribution ranks as the fourth-highest in the entire city, showcasing its significant economic footprint. However, this financial prowess stands in sharp contrast to the deteriorating living conditions on the ground.
Residents and former corporators report a multitude of unresolved issues. The most visible problems are unmanaged garbage heaps and rampant encroachment by illegal hawkers. Adding to the woes are pollution from road dust, persistent water shortages, and poorly maintained public toilets, especially in slum pockets.
Political Battleground and Citizen Grievances
The ward, with its 13 electoral segments, is a key political arena. Of these, six wards are reserved for women candidates—five from the general category and one for women from the Other Backward Classes (OBC). The upcoming municipal elections will test whether the BJP, led by its city chief and Andheri (West) MLA Ameet Satam, can maintain its previous dominance.
Citizen activists have been vocal about the neglect. Karan Jotwani, co-founder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA), pointed out that spots like the Lokhandwala backroad, area near Heera Panna Mall, and below the Oshiwara metro station have turned into "perpetual dumping sites" for unauthorized garbage. He also highlighted the menace of illegal hawkers on footpaths and pollution from trucks carrying construction debris.
Former Shiv Sena corporator from ward 61, Rajul Suresh Patel, underscored the water crisis. "Several people from Anand Nagar, BMC Colony, Azad Nagar, Shakti Nagar areas are getting water supply only between 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm in the afternoon," she said. Patel also lamented that deep-cleaning road sweepers were non-functional, exacerbating dust pollution.
Contesting Claims and Slum Concerns
Haroon Khan, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA for Versova, alleged that areas represented by MLAs from opposing parties were deliberately deprived of BMC development funds over the last three years. His daughter, Sabah Haroon Khan, is contesting from ward number 64, which he describes as a diverse mix of Marathi, Muslim, North Indian, and Christian voters.
On the other side, BJP's Sudha Shabhunath Singh, contesting from ward 69, claimed credit for resolving waterlogging near Bhavans College and said an elected body would ensure administrative accountability.
Former Congress corporator Mehar Mohsin Haider, who is challenging the BJP from ward 66, raised alarming concerns about cluster redevelopment projects. "Several residents got false promises of assured houses and are instead under fear of being ousted outside Mumbai," Haider stated. He added that the condition of public toilets had worsened, leading to an increase in open defecation in one of the city's largest slum clusters.
Despite the challenges, citizens acknowledge some progress, like the reconstruction of the Andheri East-West Gokhale bridge. However, the consensus is clear: the ward that contributes hundreds of crores to the city's coffers desperately needs its fundamental civic issues addressed, a task that now rests heavily on the outcome of the upcoming elections and the vigilance of its alert citizen bodies.
