Mumbai: Coastal Road threatens toilet block at Breach Candy

Breach Candy residents are fearful about how the Coastal Road is going to impact their lives. A mother-son duo frets about the prospect of the road taking away a chunk of their livelihood. Shankar Mane, 35, and his mother Shantabai Y Mane, manage a public toilet block adjacent to Tata Garden at Breach Candy.

This toilet complex is located between Tata Garden and the Scandal Point parking lot. The Scandal Point space is currently taken over by cabins that serve as offices for engineers and workers of the Coastal Road project.

Shankar Mane and his mother Shantabai manage a public toilet

Real fears
"We fear that the Coastal Road will cut through this place and the toilet complex, which opened in June 2018, will be demolished," said the mother-son pair. The Manes constructed the block at a cost of R30 lakh. "We have invested savings and also taken a loan, what will we do if the block is broken, or gone altogether?" they asked. The complex has a plaque citing date of opening as June 6, 2018 and expresses thanks to a slew of D-ward officials including current ward officer V P Mote. The opening was done by MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

Legit concern
The Manes' concerns are legitimate considering the Coastal Road is already going to take away a part of the Tata Garden. Shankar, who also works in the D-Ward office as a sweeper stated, "We charge R2 for the urinals, R5 for the toilet and Rs 20 for the shower facility."

As this reporter was speaking to Shankar, several people walked in to use the toilets, paying Shankar as they exited. "This is highly frequented as there is no other public toilet in the vicinity," said Dr Nilesh Baxi, a regular at Tata Garden and founder of Breach Candy Welfare Group.

Uncertain fate
Shantabai was at her home in Dharavi, battling low blood pressure. She said, "My health is affected because of the uncertainty. My son has been told by engineers working next to the site that at least half the block will be broken. We started this as an opportunity to earn. Why isn't the plan being explained to those who may be affected? We are not being informed about the compensation if any, either."

Dr Baxi said, "At least half this toilet block will be taken away, I think. We have been repeatedly requesting BMC officials to come here for a site visit, but there has been no response."

Shankar said, "The toilet was started in 2018 and completed in 5.5 months. Permissions were taken a year before that. The Coastal Road plans were already on the table at the time, so why were permissions given for it at all?"

M Machiwal, chief engineer of the Coastal Road, said, 'I do not know if the toilet block will be affected. I cannot tell you now. I will check and let you know." D-ward officer V P Mote said, "The block is not going to be affected immediately. We will in fact, try our best to avoid any disruption or breaking of this sanitation facility."

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