Interview with Sarika Pawar

“T and S Wards are like my house and I will leave no stone unturned to keep my residents happy.”
– Sarika Pawar, President of Prabhag Samiti

Mulund-Bhandup (T and S Ward) have a population of about 15 lacs. Residents of both these two Wards are confronting several difficulties, be it the traffic menace or the dumping issue or the disposal of garbage. To solve the problems of this 15 lacs population, T and S Wards have elected Sarika Pawar as the President of Prabhag Samiti. Home Times had the pleasure of speaking with Sarika Pawar, who humbly answered the various queries of T and S Ward residents.
Home Times: Earlier, a lady was the President of Prabhag Samiti and this year, too, a lady is its President. How does it feel to work as a lady in this prestigious position?
Sarika Pawar: I consider this Prabhag like my house. Just as a lady pumps her energy and soul into keeping her house neat and clean, likewise T and S Wards are like my house and I will leave no stone unturned to keep my residents happy.
Home Times: What, according to you, are the issues in Prabhag that urgently need attention?
Sarika Pawar: I think dumping of garbage is the biggest issue of this Prabhag. Since my house is also close to dumping ground, hence I am aware of the mental trauma people undergo due to the stink.
I have started a war against garbage and I am reaching out to housing societies and urging them to start segregating wet and dry garbage. We are providing housing societies with two separate dustbins for wet and dry garbage. Our efforts are to dump less garbage at the dumping grounds because this is the only solution to lessen the load on dumping grounds. This will also make the environment clean and pollution-free.
Home Times:  What are the major problems of Mulund-Bhandup? What are your priorities?
Sarika Pawar: I have conducted a round-up of S Ward and found debris and garbage as the major problems in Bhandup. I had a written communication with the BMC commissioner in this connection. In comparison to S-Ward, there are fewer problems in T-Ward. Slowly and gradually we will find solutions to each and every problem.
With monsoon approaching, the priority is the cleaning of nullahs and gutters. In addition, we have to pay special attention to low lying areas which are usually flooded during monsoons.
Home Times: This Prabhag has maximum slums. How is it possible to develop these slums?
Sarika Pawar: There are maximum slums in S-Ward. Most of these slums are concentrated in the salt pan areas, hence it is a bit difficult to migrate them. However, we are in conversation with top officials and shall soon succeed in relocating them.
Home Times: In Mulund-Bhandup a large section of the population resides in hilly areas. Usually, during monsoon, these people face many problems due to landslides. What are the preparations this year to save their lives?  
Sarika Pawar: It is true that in Mulund a large population resides on hilly areas and forest land, hence to save these people from natural calamities, we are having meetings with forest officials and plans are being drawn up to save them from Nature’s fury. 
Home Times: Being a lady what do you think must be done secure the ladies’ future?
Sarika Pawar: BMC is making plans for MahilaBachat Gat scheme for ladies in both S and T Wards. In addition, we also conduct awareness programmes among ladies so that women are educated about the various welfare schemes of the government and benefit from them.
Home Times: What is your most ambitious plan during your term as President of T and S Ward Prabhag Samiti?
Sarika Pawar: Well, I am making all efforts to make my Prabhag garbage-free. There are two dumping grounds in my Prabhag, which cannot be shut, but I am working tirelessly so that less garbage is dumped over them. We are educating housing society residents to utilize wet garbage by converting them into compost. I am happy residents are also supporting our cause, hence I am hopeful to make my Prabhag garbage-free.
Home Times: Each year, during monsoon, the gutters and nullahs overflow and dirty water enters the houses of low lying areas’? How are you going to solve this issue?
Sarika Pawar: I am aware of this problem, hence I have personally checked the cleaning process of each nullah and gutters in S-Ward. I have firmly instructed the contractors to clean all the nullahs and gutters before monsoon or face the consequences.
Similarly, last Thursday, I took a round-up of T-Ward (Mulund). I had a meeting with all corporators and contractors. I have strictly asked them to clean all nullahs and gutters, particularly the old and big, not just from the surface, but to clean them properly from their depth! We are trying our best that during monsoon there is no water-logging anywhere in S and T Ward!
Home Time: What are your plans regarding the plastic ban? Even today people are seen using plastic.
Sarika Pawar: We are creating awareness among people regarding the hazards of plastic. While distributing dustbins in housing societies for segregating wet and dry waste, we are educating the housing societies’ members about the harms and evils of plastic and urging them to discard the use of plastic. We are asking ladies to use cloth bags so as to get rid of plastic bags.
Home Times: What are your plans to safeguards the ladies?
Sarika Pawar: I have spoken with the Police Department in connection with the safety of women. Soon, we would be placing CCTV cameras at places which are most vulnerable to crime. In addition, I plan to create awareness among women about self-safety and training in self-defence like karate.
Home Times: Recently, a public toilet collapsed in S-Ward. What are the steps taken that such an accident does not repeat in future?
Sarika Pawar: No sooner did I take the responsibility of being President of S and T Ward Prabhag Samiti, the first thing I did was to get the structural audit of all the public toilets in my Prabhag. I have asked all the concerned officials to submit the details immediately.
Home Times: What are the challenges that you face in politics, being a lady?
Sarika Pawar: I am of the firm belief that ladies, too, should plunge into politics. It is as safe as any job in any fraternity. Every lady has the potential and capacity to work diligently in politics. As I said earlier, just as a woman handles her household chores efficiently, likewise she can also work proficiently in any concerned department.
No doubt men perform well in politics, but women can do the dual job quite commendably if they make up their mind! And, most importantly, the need of the hour is that many more women should join politics.