Mumbai: Garbage threat spurs WR action along Mahim corridor

An excavator picks up the heap of trash on Mahim tracks

The clean-up operation at Mahim will now be an ongoing process, with Western Railway working in coordination with the BMC. Measures include installing tall barricades and maintaining round-the-clock surveillance at the location.

Garbage dumping at Mahim has been a long-standing issue, and in 2021, it even led to a train derailment. The current action gained pace after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued a notice to the railway authorities last month. Railway officials said that they are now on a mission to make the area garbage-free and have launched a multi-pronged plan to tackle the problem on all fronts.

"To begin with, tall fences made of toughened mould composite material will be installed at a cost of around Rs 36 lakh. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) will maintain a 24x7 vigil, and garbage bins will be placed at multiple spots, with the local civic body ensuring timely collection," an official said.

"In the past two months, around 1200 cubic metres of garbage have been removed from the site using special garbage trains. We've deployed ‘muck special' trains, assigned 25-30 workers for daily track cleaning, and are using excavators at night to clear the waste. We've also requested the MCGM to collect the garbage from the dustbins provided by the railway on a daily basis to achieve a ‘Garbage-Free Mahim'," said a Western Railway spokesperson.

"A garbage cleaning contract worth Rs 59 lakh has also been awarded. To raise awareness among local residents, Western Railway has organised street plays (nukkad nataks) urging people not to dump garbage on the tracks and to use the dustbins provided. We've installed concrete bins for this purpose," he added.

Citizen Speak

Rajiv Singhal,
Divisional Passenger Committee member and regular commuter

‘Clearing debris from the tracks is a positive step, but it shouldn't be a one-time effort. This needs to be a regular and periodic exercise to bring about a meaningful and lasting impact'

Khurshed Lawyer,
commuter activist and actor

‘Unless the slums are removed, the filth will persist regardless of how much cleaning is done. It's unfortunate that workers are being made to clear garbage without basic protective gear like gloves or masks. To truly resolve this, the fifth and sixth railway lines should be laid as soon as possible. I believe the fifth line can be extended up to the Dharavi Bridge, and the sixth line can be developed from the Harbour Line entry to the creek/Dharavi Bridge'