Thane: Social activist files PIL against Bhiwandi civic body

Thane: A Bhiwandi-based social activist, Ashok Jain filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC) in Mumbai and sent a written complaint to the chief secretary, ministry of urban development and the Bhiwandi-Nizampura Municipal Corporation (BNMC) commissioner and administrator regarding the lack of basic facilities and infrastructure in the city.

The MHRC has asked the parties concerned to reply and also be present for the hearing on February 20.

“Earlier, Bhiwandi was considered the power loom of Asia. But now the city is considered to be full of potholes, garbage, and illegal constructions, while the BNMC is regarded as one of the most corrupt municipal corporations. The power loom business of the city has been completely ruined due to lack of infrastructure and also due to the negligence of the corrupt officials of the civic body,” Jain said, adding that Bhiwandi residents are forced to live in a kind of hell.

Cleanliness and welfare of the citizens

In a PIL, Jain has alleged that apart from the huge potholes, the civic body has failed to properly manage and dispose of garbage and as a result, it is lying on roads and public places, causing an inconvenience to the citizens. “Despite the state government providing funds under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan they have not been utilised for the cleanliness and welfare of the citizens. The civic body has not even bothered to clean drains and many drainage systems are completely damaged. Due to this, many areas get flooded when it rains and filthy water accumulates on the roads,” Jain said.

According to Jain, the BNMC administration has also failed to make proper street lighting arrangements in the city.