Over 400 Turbhe Slum Residents Protest Closure of Public Toilet
More than 400 residents of the Krishna Steel slum in Turbhe's MIDC area, Navi Mumbai, staged a protest on Saturday demanding the immediate reopening of a public toilet that has remained closed.
The demonstration was organized directly in front of the locked facility by local residents along with social activist Balakrishna Khopde. Khopde explained that he decided to help organize the demonstration after local residents approached him, reporting that they repeatedly faced difficulties due to the closure of the toilet.
According to the protesters, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has failed to restore the public toilet despite receiving repeated complaints. This prolonged closure has left hundreds of families in the Krishna Steel slum area without access to basic sanitation.
During the demonstration, residents raised questions about the performance of their elected representatives in Ward No. 14. The ward is represented by four corporators, including three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from the Shiv Sena. Protesters pointed out that despite having four representatives, the locality is still deprived of essential civic amenities like functional public toilets.
"We hope the sleeping corporators wake up and address the problems faced by residents," Khopde said while addressing the gathered crowd.
Several local residents, including Jahangir Shaikh, Babu Bansode, Laxmi Rathod, and Vilas Bansode, participated in the demonstration alongside a large number of other slum dwellers.
The protesters have issued a one-week ultimatum to the civic body. Khopde warned that if the public toilet is not reopened within seven days, the residents will escalate their agitation. They plan to take the matter directly to the public grievance meeting, or Janata Darbar, of Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik.
The residents have urged the NMMC administration to act immediately to prevent further hardship and potential public health concerns in the Turbhe locality.
