As complaints see drop, experts feel citizens losing faith in BMC: Times of India

MUMBAI: Civic woes have not reduced but there has been a 21% drop in complaints filed with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A recent report by an NGO said complaints pertaining to roads, drainage, water supply, solid waste management, gardens and licences have reduced from 1,02,388 (2013) to 80,490 (2014). This has prompted experts to wonder if citizens are losing faith in the civic body.

Many citizens said that while the civic body may rejoice by claiming that the quality of services provided has led to the decrease in complaints, but actually residents are disheartened with the redressal procedure. A Praja report on working of ward committees in the city and civic problems registered by citizens, said most complaints are directly correlated to services provided by the corporation.

Praja project director Milind Mhaske, however, said the drop can be attributed to another finding from the civic report. "The BMC took 17 days, on an average, to attend to a civic complaint in 2014. In fact, detailed statistics indicate that on an average it took 87 days for closing complaints related to contaminated water supply in S ward (Bhandup-Kanjurmarg area) and 32 days for closing complaints of drainage chokes and blockages, and overflowing drains and manholes in L ward (Kurla). The civic body needs to have a clear standard operating procedure for a citizen's complaint," said Mhaske. 

Godfrey Pimenta, a trustee of the Watchdog Foundation NGO, said they have been time and again writing to the authorities about civic issues but they rarely hear anything back from them. "Even if we receive a reply, it's always from a senior official. Juniors at the ward ignore complaints. There are high chances that a letter by an NGO or advanced locality management gets addressed, while others are not paid heed to," said Pimenta. 

Other citizens said they often felt it was pointless following up with the authorities. "Often, when we complain, they are closed and marked 'redressed' without our knowledge. After a point, it gets difficult to follow up with the authorities at the ward level. In case of serious complaints, where many rain trees were drying up, we had sought an appointment with the garden department authorities. They did not respond. When personally they are not ready to listen to our grievances, putting down our complaints in black and white may not matter," said citizen activist G R Vora, member, F-North ward Citizens' Federation.