Promised Redevelopment Leaves Mumbai Students in One-Room Kitchen
In a shocking case of failed promises, a municipal primary school in Mumbai's Sewri area was demolished as part of a slum redevelopment project, only to be replaced by a single-room kitchen that served as an inadequate replacement for the educational institution. What began as an initiative to improve infrastructure ended up depriving hundreds of children of proper education facilities.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) primary school, which once educated 250 students, was torn down in 2013 to make way for the redevelopment project on R A Kidwai Marg opposite TB Hospital in Sewri. Construction on the site had reportedly begun in 2009, raising hopes for improved facilities.
The Downward Spiral: From School to Kitchen
After the school's demolition, operations were temporarily shifted to what local residents describe as a "one-room kitchen" (1RK) unit that lacked even the most basic facilities required for proper education. The cramped space, meant for cooking and living, became the unlikely venue for whatever remained of the school's academic activities.
The impact of this inadequate arrangement was devastating and immediate. Student enrollment plummeted from 250 to just 9 students by 2019, representing a catastrophic 96% decline in attendance. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, even this skeletal operation couldn't sustain itself, and the school completely shut down.
Adding to the controversy, documents reveal that the one-room kitchen unit used as a makeshift school wasn't officially recorded as belonging to the BMC education department, raising questions about the legality and oversight of the arrangement.
Political Response and Criminal Complaints
Borivli MLA Sanjay Upadhyay has taken formal action by writing to the municipal commissioner demanding criminal proceedings against Alperton Developers & Contractors Private Limited, along with officials from both the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and BMC staff involved in the project.
Former corporator and BMC education committee member Shivnath Darade, who first raised the issue during a December 2016 education committee meeting, expressed frustration at the lack of action. "Not only was nothing done about the lack of facilities," Darade stated, "but the builder was later even permitted to proceed with selling the free sale component of the apartments despite no school being built and handed over to the BMC."
Attempts to reach SRA and BMC education officials for comments on the matter proved unsuccessful, leaving many questions about accountability unanswered. The case highlights systemic failures in urban redevelopment projects where educational infrastructure often becomes collateral damage.
