With Mahim school ‘unsafe', BMC kids face 7km daily commute
MUMBAI: With their school in Mahim declared dilapidated and unsafe to use, primary children from a municipal school are being sent on a 7km journey each day – a burden placed on their young shoulders by crumbling civic infrastructure. secondary students have been accommodated in schools in the vicinity, primary students, aged six to ten, have been relocated to a municipal school in Worli, almost 7km away. (Anshuman Poyrekar / Hindustan Times)
The sudden move to declare the BMC-run New Mahim Municipal English Primary School as dilapidated ahead of it being demolished has impacted more than 1,500 students. While secondary students have been accommodated in schools in the vicinity, primary students, aged six to ten, have been relocated to a municipal school in Worli, almost 7km away.
Parents are distraught. 'We cannot send our children so far every day. There's no school bus, no transport facility provided. Are we supposed to drop them all the way to Worli and then rush to work? It's impossible,' said one parent.
The Mahim school caters mainly to children from Dharavi and other low-income neighbourhoods. 'It is well patronised and sees a long wait list every year,' said one parent. 'We were shocked when we were told that the building, earlier marked as moderately damaged, had suddenly become dangerous to occupy within six months. There is no transparency from the BMC.'
In July 2024, the school building was classified as C-2, which means it required repairs but could still be occupied. Inexplicably, four months later, it was tagged as C-1—completely dilapidated and unsafe—without any signs of urgent repairs or planning for alternatives. MLA from Dharavi constituency Jyoti Gaikwad raised the matter with the BMC's education department, criticising the civic body's handling of the situation.
Gaikwad said the children are largely from economically weaker sections, and the lack of nearby schooling options could result in increased dropout rates. 'Instead of protecting their right to education, the system is pushing them away,' she told HT.
On Monday, Gaikwad led a Congress delegation along with parents to meet civic education officials, to demand that primary students be accommodated in municipal schools in Dadar, Matunga or Sion. 'We have requested that the children be shifted temporarily to the recently built Kapad Bazar school. It may not have a playground, but it is within reach.'
The Kapad Bazar building, constructed under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), was rejected by the BMC on grounds that it lacked adequate facilities. However, Gaikwad argued that the location was practical and could be used until a more permanent solution is found.
The BMC's education officer was unavailable for comment.
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