A wave of discontent has been building in Mahim after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) vacated New Mahim Public School earlier this year, citing the structure as unsafe. The civic body’s move, which displaced nearly 700 students in the middle of the academic session, has been met with resistance from parents, activists, and community organizations who insist that the process lacked transparency.
Concerns have been voiced that the structural audit report, which was commissioned by the BMC itself, has not been shared with the community. It was reported by activists that the fresh assessment concluded that the building was not beyond repair and could be restored within six months. The refusal of the civic body to make the report public has been described as a deliberate attempt to sidestep responsibility.
Local activist Pranali Raut has been at the forefront of the agitation, supported by members of the Marathi Abhyas Kendra and actor Chinmayi Sumit, brand ambassador of the “Save Marathi Schools” campaign. It has been alleged that the abrupt reclassification of the building from C-2, or repairable, in July 2024, to C-1, or dangerous and beyond repair, in January 2025, was unjustified. Parents have emphasized that the sudden downgrade created suspicion about the motives behind the closure.
The civic body has acknowledged receipt of the audit and confirmed that it has been referred to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Additional municipal commissioner Amit Saini stated that the TAC’s review would take one to two weeks. However, activists have argued that the referral was unnecessary since the BMC itself had ordered the new audit. According to them, the report should have been accepted directly, and the school reopened without delay.
The absence of adequate alternatives has further aggravated the situation. It has been pointed out that surrounding BMC schools are overcrowded and unable to accommodate all transferred students. Parents have also highlighted that no replacement school has been constructed in Mahim since the Mori Road BMC school was demolished in 2019.
For over five decades, New Mahim Public School had served as a cornerstone of education in the community. Its last major repairs were undertaken in 2017. With parents demanding answers and activists calling for transparency, the fate of the school now rests on whether the BMC chooses to publish the audit findings and act upon them.
Share
Tweet
