By Steffy Thevar. Photographs by Santosh Gupta

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepped itself for the farmers protest and installed mobile toilets and drinking water facilities for the thousands of farmers who are coming to the city to present their demands to the ongoing legislative assembly.
The civic body has prepared both Somaiyya ground and Azad Maidan for this purpose so that the farmers do not face any problems with regards to the basic needs of the farmers. About 35 thousand farmers are expected to come to the city out of which a few thousand along with their leaders are planning to visit the Vidhan Bhavan.
On the night of 11-12 March, the farmers who had planned to stay all night at the Somaiyya ground were provided with 140 mobile toilet seats. Also there are three water tankers stationed on the ground each with a capacity of 12 thousand liters each. The civic body has also arranged for filling points nearby for the tankers to be filled in with water as soon as possible.
Ubale, Assistant commissioner of F North ward said, “We have made all possible arrangements like fogging for two continuous days and cleaning with the help of about 50 labourers and two JCB's but because it is private land we cannot make a lot of arrangements but we have done our best.” He also added that 20 workers will be deployed for cleaning purposes.
He further said that although no ambulances have been stationed or temporary dispensaries installed, the hospital staff at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, at Sion which is at a walking distance from the ground has been kept on alert.
At Azad Maidan, the civic body has provided 20 seats with mobile toilets which will be increased in the night time to 40 seats. Four water tankers have been stationed at Azad maidan which will be filled again from the Azad maidan filling point. Also all pay and use toilets near Azad maidan and Mantralaya have been instructed to give free services for 2 days. There is also one stationary ambulance at Azad maidan and extra manpower for cleanliness in and around Azad maidan have been appointed.

THE LONG MARCH AND THE BADLY AFFECTED FOOT: A woman farmer who has endured the long march displays her awful foot after trudging barefoot. She was later administered prompt treatment.