Mid-Day has introduced a new initiative: DEAR GOVERNMENT.
In this your favourite newspaper will print your questions to BMC, Police and State Government every Monday, and will get answers on your behalf. Be it roads, water crime, government policy, whatever your query, write to us at mailbag@mid-day.com or tweet to us at @mid-day and we will try and get responses to your problems.
Problems
Broken drain cover
This broken drain lid on the pavement across the road from the Nike showroom on Linking Road in Khar is a disaster waiting to happen.
Someone walking here in the night may not notice that the lid is broken and either break a leg or plunge into the drain. Hoping the authorities fix this at the earliest.
C Gitanjali
Encroached road
The residents of Aavishkar Khatauwadi Tennant’s Cooperative Housing Society at Sleater Road, Grant Road, have wrongfully earmarked a portion of the public road as their private property by putting potted plants on the road facing their entry gate. They do not allow anyone to park their two-wheelers on the road parallel to the footpath, even though it is not a No-Parking zone. If anyone parks even near the potted plants, the on-duty security guard has been instructed to remove the vehicle and park it in such a way that it gets towed away during the day. I would like BMC or the relevant authorities to look into this matter.
Vispi Dotiwalla
Bikers using footpath
The footpath on the eastern side of Diamond Garden in Chembur is a death trap for pedestrians using it in the evening hours. As the traffic pile up increases due to the signals, delivery boys on two-wheelers randomly use the footpath, endangering pedestrians. A request to the authorities to install bollards to stop vehicles from using the footpath.
Dr Kumarswamy
Massive encroachment
PIC/Khalid Shaikh
There is a massive encroachment of drug addicts and the parking mafia at the newly constructed Crawford Market, opposite Gulshan e Iran hotel and Manish Market. The completed market has not been inaugurated yet and the road has been blocked by the builder and BMC for more than five years. The parking mafia charges R50 for two-wheeler parking in the area when available parking is blocked in this manner. Request the authorities to urgently look into this.
Khalid Shaikh
Where is the footpath?
Pic/Vinod Jain
There is no footpath at all near Holy Cross School and Church in Kurla. The whole footpath is covered by slums, making it extremely difficult to walk, especially for schoolgoing students, owing to heavy traffic in the area.
Vinod Jain
Responses
After Mumbaikars sent in their questions and woes to mid-day last Monday, some of the authorities concerned responded. We haven’t given up on the rest. We shall continue to hold authorities accountable for the state of the city.
Road in appalling state
Reader: C Gitanjali
Response by mid-day: Please refer to mid-day report ‘A hole lot of trouble’, dated May 19, 2026. Thank you, Ms C Gitanjali, for bringing the issue to our notice.
Parked vehicles obstructing pedestrians
Reader: Iqbal Gilani Mansuri
Response from traffic police: Deputy Commissioner of Police, traffic, western zone, Ajit Borhade said, “Action will be taken against such vehicles. I will personally instruct DN Nagar Traffic in-charge to get the issue sorted.”
Fish vendor raising a stink
Reader: Iqbal Gilani Mansuri
Response from BMC: An official from K West ward of BMC said, “The market department of the BMC takes action against those illegally selling fish on the road near Yari Road on a regular basis and we will take necessary action against those vendors selling fish on the road illegally.”
Squatters blocking building entrance
Reader: Anil Amin
Response from BMC: A senior civic official told mid-day, “BMC has taken action against the illegal squatters, not once, but four times before this. Since they are illegal squatters, the next course of action is police action. We have informed the police. It is now a matter of law and order. Action will have to be enforced by the agencies concerned.”
