Over a fire of burning newspaper and cardboard, Madhuban Pawar, in her mid-60s, sits on the cold stone floor brewing tea. It is 11 pm, and her husband waits beside her for their only meal of the day: a single glucose biscuit and a glass of tea. In the wake of the December 2, 2025, demolition drive in Mumbai's Borivali, a lone cooking utensil is all the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) left her with. Madhuban, like many from Borivali's Chikuwadi, has inhabited the slums for over 20 years. "I work as a sanitation worker. During monsoons, our job is to…

After nearly four years of delay, Mumbai is finally set to hold its municipal elections on January 15. The last elected council completed its term in 2022, and in the absence of fresh polls, the city’s civic body was placed under an administrator for the first time in forty years. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), established in 1888, is the governing authority responsible for delivering essential civic services — from water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management to public health, infrastructure, roads, and education. With a staggering budget of ₹74,427 crore for 2025–26, it is the wealthiest municipal body in…