Deonar to Mankhurd: 50% of children under 2 in this Mumbai ward are stunted

The ward houses the Deonar dumping ground that grows by 4,500 tonnes of garbage every day

On the northern edge of the metropolis of Mumbai, lies another face of the city. Buildings give way to hutments, roads get narrower, and government services get scarcer as we reach the ‘M East’ municipal ward, called ‘M/E’ for short.

Known best for housing the 132-hectare Deonar dumping ground that grows by 4,500 tonnes of garbage every day, this ward includes Chembur East, Govandi, Mankhurd and Shivaji Nagar, covering 256-plus slums and 13 resettlement colonies.

This is the ward where 50% of children studying in municipal schools are malnourished, more than anywhere else in the