Don't blame 'outsiders' for Mumbai's woes

Close on the heels of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray holding ‘outsiders’ responsible for the spread of malaria in the city which claimed around 50 lives, the Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), that rules the sprawling city, has blamed the 'influx of outsiders' for the mounting environmental woes of the city.

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It is unfortunate that instead of concentrating on projects and programmes that will mitigate the problems being faced by the citizens of this mega city, the authorities are deviating from the real issue.

There is nothing new or wrong in the influx of population in a metropolitan city like Mumbai. People from different parts of the country as well as world will come and go for several purposes. What is new in that and wrong in that. It is the primary duty of the BMC to provide the best possible infrastructure to the city.

And with a huge budget of over Rs 20,000 crore, the BMC can make this city a clean and livable one. But, it is common knowledge that a large part of the budge is going to the hands of the corrupt people. It is time for the authorities and the politicians to concentrate on real issues.

In the preface to the recently released report Environment Status of Brihanmumbai 2009-10, the civic body chief Swadhin Kshatriya has blamed the “influx of outsiders” for the mounting environmental woes of the city.

Kshatriya elucidated his point, writing, “For example, in the BMC’s ‘A’ ward, every single day 75,000 outsiders are added per sq km. This large number stretches an already over-stretched system to breaking point.”

Confronted with his comment in the report, Kshatriya sought to defend himself. “I am referring to the floating population that comes to South Mumbai and it’s from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as a whole.

This does not refer to migration from other states. The floating population creates pressure on the infrastructure and the environment.”