Mumbai: After the incident of a footpath dug-up by thieves in Matunga (East), the civic authorities on Wednesday instructed all the assistant commissioners of 25 administrative wards to immediately lodge a police complaint if they found roads illegally dug-up in their respective wards. The ward officials of F/south ward have also requested the Mumbai police to increase patrolling on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and other roads in the vicinity during the night.
In a shocking incident, a footpath on the Dadar-Matunga stretch of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road was dug-up by thieves for copper wire from utility cables laid under the footpath. The footpath was levelled up after repairs just a fortnight before the incident.
The theft came to light when Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) consumers complained about disruption in their telephone services. The footpaths haphazardly dug up in patches between Kings Circle and Dadar TT Circle were brought to the BMC's notice by the local residents.
A complaint was lodged by the civic body on May 17, while MTNL approached Matunga police to register an FIR on May 30. "The footpath has been levelled up again to avoid inconvenience to the residents during the monsoon. We cannot rule out the possibility of similar thefts in other areas where roads are dug up. So, all the ward officials have been alerted to keep vigil in their area and immediately register a police complaint if they find any road or footpath illegally dug-up," said a senior civic official.
Chakrapani Alle, an assistant municipal commissioner of F/ south has written a letter to Matunga police station and has requested to increase patrolling in the area. The Matunga police have already arrested six men for robbing Rs 6.78 lakh worth of copper wires.
