Kandivli West residents, most of them from Poinsur Gaothan located adjacent to and behind the Poinsur (Poisar) river, are bracing for their annual monsoon nightmare. The 11.15-km-long river originates in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and flows into Marve Creek.
Ryan Rebello and Ramsey Rebello
Today, the Poinsur River is choked with rubbish. Its flow is blocked at several points, with garbage bags and plastic carpeting blocking the water. A nauseating stench envelops the area. During the monsoon, the Gaothan floods, with water entering homes as the river, already reduced to a clogged channel, rise with no proper outlet.
No flow and nowhere to go for Poinsur on the east side. Pics/SATEJ SHINDE
Several residents said, “The water rises very fast, within 30 minutes, we are submerged.” While some water is visible on the western side, the eastern side of the river is almost entirely debris. Residents who have lived here for decades recalled a very different past.
Some waste and a little water on the western side
“We fished in this river. We swam in it. Women washed clothes and dried vessels along the banks. Today, we do not even put our toes in it. The water was once so clear you could see pebbles beneath. Now, we cannot even see the water, and nobody dares step into it.”
Some work on as the river is beneath
Floating away
Ramsey and Ryan Rebello said, “We have lived here for six decades. Our father, grandfather and great-grandfather lived here before us. From a clear water source where we swam, the Poinsur River has become a stagnant, stinking mess. Our 90-year-old paralysed father once had to be carried upstairs when the Gaothan flooded. Tables, chairs and cupboards have floated away during floods. No local representative helps. This historic river, where even cattle were once washed, is now a festering dump. This degeneration is beyond tragic.”
Charming homes in the village
Fish tales
Some flow, but mostly choked
Resident Anwar Khan recalled, “The riverbed was once visible — that’s how clean the water was. People used to fish here. Put a fishing rod here today, and you’ll catch a garbage bag.”
A general dismal scenario in the area
Health woes
Prabhakar Mhatre, 82, pointed above his head inside his home and said, “In one year, the floodwater rose to at least six feet. Our furniture was floating. We had no time to save belongings, only ourselves.”
Prabhakar Mhatre and Sushma Mhatre
His daughter-in-law, Sushma Mhatre, added, “We have tiled the walls because of recurring flooding. Our furniture is now metal. We have suffered from several infectious diseases, including malaria. Bikes parked outside get destroyed, just like lives do every monsoon.”
High ’n’ dry
Anwar Khan
Many homes have added an extra storey where families take refuge when floodwaters enter. “Civic authorities are quick to notice these constructions but do not care about our suffering,” a
resident said.
BMC says…
We learnt swimming here, shows Ramsey Rebello
Arti Golekar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) said, “Like most pre-monsoon works, even this Poinsur river is being cleaned, and de-silting work is on. The work should wrap up by May 31.”
Ryan Rebello indicates how high the water rises
Shakhapramukh speaks
Harshada Arulraj,
Deputy shakhapramukh and a Gaothan resident, said, “People usually prepare for the monsoon by buying rainwear. Here, preparation means bracing for floods inside our homes, moving important documents, losing furniture, and dealing with exhausting clean-ups. The water has nowhere to go. We have no assurance that this year will be any different.”
Jyoti Mhatre,
Poinsur, Kandivli West ladies’ shakhapramukh who lives in the Gaothan, said, “Last year, there was nearly five feet of water inside my home due to flooding. Our furniture was destroyed. “We need choke points cleared, deep desilting, and proper cleaning, not superficial mud removal. We are bracing for a similar horror this season.”
Nostalgia rules
Pravin Bansode and his mother, Meera Bansode, who live very close to the river, said, “We are preparing for the toughest time of the year. We remember when families would sit by the riverside doing daily chores and watching life go by. Today, we must watch out for flying garbage. Forget sitting, the stench does not even allow us to stand here.”
