Mumbai, Dec 24: Among the 26 civic administration wards across Mumbai (two were added last year), the B and C wards remain the smallest, with two and three corporators respectively.
However, the wards are
densely populated, with narrow lanes and dilapidated buildings, and see one of the highest floating populations in the city. B ward consists of areas of Masjid Bunder, Pydhonie, Bhendi Bazaar and Dongri, while C ward consists of Zaveri Bazaar, Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi and Girgaon.
The two wards cover crucial areas in south Mumbai, including wholesale markets, street shopping and jewellery business hubs. The old British-era buildings add to the charm of older Mumbai.
However, over the decades, the charm of the classic buildings has been lost to road and footpath encroachments, unauthorised constructions, haphazard development and redevelopment, and poor traffic management, leaving pedestrians little to no space to walk freely. The wards have one of the highest numbers of cessed buildings falling under MHADA, and pagadi-system buildings.
Residents speak on civic issues
Residents of B and C wards complain that political representatives have time and again failed to address major issues such as illegal constructions, delayed redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, poor solid waste management and water supply, fewer public toilets and encroachments.
“It is visible to the naked eye that these areas are plagued with encroachments and unauthorised constructions, thanks to the authorities who turn a blind eye. Hawkers are allowed to do business on the roads and footpaths. Part of the Crawford Market falls in B ward, and the BMC has officially allowed vendors to put up stalls on the road, violating basic municipal rules,” said Kamlakar Shenoy, an activist and resident of Dongri.
“Instead of being an agent and handing over old buildings for redevelopment to private builders, government bodies should redevelop and use the extra FSI themselves. B and C wards can be called some of the most crowded and poorly traffic-managed areas of Mumbai,” Shenoy added.
Another resident, Mohammad Azharuddin Khan, said, “My family has been residing here for 50 years, and we see civic issues increasing year on year rather than decreasing. Garbage in most lanes in B ward is collected every two to three days. The pressure of the water supply is very low. I stay in a building with huge cracks, fearing it can collapse any day.”
“Every year, especially during the monsoon, B and C wards see people dying due to building collapses. Many high-rises have come up without car parking areas. Several developers have used parking floors for building flats, and no action has been taken,” Khan added.
Political representation and demographics
Although many civic issues in B and C wards are similar, the demographics show a stark difference. B ward largely has a Muslim population and has traditionally been dominated by Congress, while C ward has a Hindu majority, largely from the Marwadi and Jain communities, and the BJP has a strong presence.
In the last BMC elections held in 2017, both seats in B ward were represented by Congress corporators, while all three seats in C ward were represented by the BJP.
In the state assembly, the wards fall in the constituency of Congress’s Amin Patel, a fourth-term MLA. B ward partly falls in the constituency of BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar. In the Lok Sabha, the areas are represented by third-term MP Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena (UBT).
Leaders speak
With the absence of corporators for almost four years now, local issues are being routed through MLAs. Patel said, “B and C wards face major issues of inadequate water supply, and I raised this in the recent assembly session.
Traffic problems are expected to ease after the MMRDA tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway and the coastal road is completed. I have also submitted a proposal for a parking plaza to the BMC.”
“One of Mumbai’s biggest redevelopment projects undertaken by SBUT is underway. Around 800 families have taken possession, and more than 1,000 families will get their flats post-January 2026.”
Former corporator from Girgaon and BJP spokesperson Atul Shah said, “C ward is dominated by the BJP, and we are confident we will win all three seats this time as well. The area suffers from noise pollution, traffic jams and a lack of parking spaces, as many new towers have come up. There is also a lack of public toilets.”
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“I have proposed that loading and unloading of trucks in the business areas of Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi and Zaveri Bazaar should be allowed only at night. This will immediately address daytime traffic issues. Trucks occupy most of the narrow roads, creating a nuisance. Additionally, small lanes should be made ‘pedestrian-only’ to address overcrowding,” Shah added.
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