In the last three months, two children—a four-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler—were killed in separate road accidents on Balaram Babu Khedekar Marg in Wadala West. In both cases, the victims, children of slum families living on footpaths, were crushed to death by motorists. The families, while talking to mid-day, expressed their disappointment and anger towards the authorities, who, according to them, failed to provide a secure housing system.

Nikhil Londhe, who lost his son in the accident on Sunday, said his family previously lived in a slum near Shree Ram Mandir in Wadala West. Along with his wife and two sons, they resided in huts until the BMC demolished their settlement, leaving them with no alternative housing. “We couldn’t find another place to stay. This spot had relatively open footpaths, and the roads were narrow with fewer vehicles passing through, so we moved here with our families,” said a relative.