mayor sunil prabhu – The Metrognome

SMSes to remind Mumbaikars on eco-friendly Ganpati

BMC is, once again, stressing on eco-friendly Ganesh idols and less banners this year. Question is, are the citizens listening?

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Ganesh Chaturthi is still two months away; September 9, to be exact. But preparations for the Raja of Mumbai are already underway, with idols being prepared and readied for private residences and public pandals all over the city.

And like every year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is exhorting citizens to opt for eco-friendly idols, not Plaster of Paris (POP) ones.

To this effect, says Mayor Sunil Prabhu (in pic on left, inspecting eco-friendly idols in Vile Parle), the BMC will also send out regular text messages to people in Mumbai to create awareness of the issue – recently, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan and Ajit Pawar, had taken the phone route to send personalised voice messages asking people to save water during Holi. Prabhu says, “Apart from sending text messages, we are hoping to create awareness about the many benefits of purchasing eco-friendly Ganesh idols.

Not only do these idols dissolve completely during visarjan, thus sparing us the horrifying spectacle of half-dissolved POP idols still left behind in the city’s major water bodies, but these idols afford employment to several women’s groups and marginalised sections in society. We are even charting out a plan to go door-to-door in the city to ask people to buy eco-friendly idols – they are just as beautiful without any of the environmental hazards associated with POP idols.”

Interestingly, despite repeated requests every year, the city’s major Ganpati pandals still boast of POP murtis.

The BMC is also going to insist on only two banners announcing each sarvajanik Ganpati in the area, and will take strict action against those who festoon the streets with lots of banners.

(Pictures courtesy festivals.iloveindia.com, BMC)

The Mayor’s not happy with Wadia Hospital

After an infant was stolen from Nowrosjee Wadia Hospital, the Mayor says the BMC might reconsider the hospital’s lease conditions.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s been five days since Jasmine Naik’s day-old son was stolen from the Parel-based Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital, allegedly by a woman who had been hovering near the ward for two whole days before she made away with the baby, but there has been no breakthrough in the case. While the distraught mother has refused to vacate her bed till her son is found, the hospital received a sharp rebuke from the city’s Mayor, Sunil Prabhu.

Prabhu, who visited the hospital on Saturday to meet with Jasmine and her family, spoke with the media after the meeting and said, “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has leased out the plot of land on which the Hospital stands, subject to certain rules and conditions. However, the Hospital has repeatedly gone back on these, and if this continues, the BMC will be forced to rethink about the land that has been given to the Hospital.”

The BMC and The Wadia Trust jointly run the maternity hospital and the Bai Jerbai Wadia Children’s Hospital since the year 1928, but in recent times, the two have been locked in a bitter dispute over allocation of funds for the repairs of the Children’s Hospital. The building has been closed for repairs after being certified unsafe. It was built over 80 years ago.

The Mayor added, “Time and time again, the BMC has asked the Trust to install an adequate number of CCTV cameras all over the premises, but they have not installed a single device till date. Every year, the BMC grants a certain amount to the Hospital’s trustees for the smooth running of the hospital. But what we find is very different.

On the pretext of repairs, the Hospital management has kept a large part of the premises closed for a long time now. Residents and patients have often complained of the space constraint here. Besides, the Hospital is not providing the best medical care and services to patients. We (BMC) have often asked them to employ more security guards, but there are only four men guarding the entire premises. It is unfortunate that a little child was stolen so easily from a packed ward, all due to negligence on the part of the Hospital.”

How should civic and government hospitals step up security to prevent infants being stolen? Send us your ideas to editor@themetrognome and we will take them to Mayor Sunil Prabhu on your behalf.