Rahul Gandhi's Mumbai visit a boon for locals on Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Rd

There's nothing like the prospect of a VVIP visit to get the BMC to clean up its act. A day before Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to the Deonar dumping ground, around 50 civic workers lifted the garbage on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road, which leads to the dumpyard, to ensure that the Congress leader's convoy would not face any hitch.

BMC workers remove unattended paver blocks from the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road, which leads to the Deonar landfill

Residents in the vicinity had often complained of piles of garbage lining both sides of the road, but no action was allegedly taken on the complaints.

When mid-day visited the spot on Monday, the road was spick and span. A BMC worker said over 50 workers had been roped in for the clean-up job. Surprised - and relieved - locals said the change was drastic. "The road was in such a poor condition earlier. There was garbage scattered all over and people used to answer the call of nature right on the road. Rahul Gandhi's visit has come as a boon. Police personnel oversaw the cleaning work. A BMC vehicle removed the paver blocks that had been scattered on the sides of the road," said one such local.

Around 3 pm, senior police officials reviewed the situation at the site. All dumper trucks entering and exiting the ground were checked.

Another BMC worker said dumper trucks will not be allowed into the ground from 9 am to noon on Tuesday.

BMC sources said as per the plan, Rahul is expected to do a reconnaissance of the dumping ground and then interact with locals and mediapersons.