Mumbai, July 1: The BMC has proposed appointing the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to conduct structural audits of four pedestrian bridges spanning railway tracks in south and central Mumbai after they were flagged as unsafe by the railways.
The civic body has sought the Standing Committee's approval to release an advance payment of Rs 12 lakh to the institute for the assessments, which will evaluate the bridges' structural integrity and determine whether they require repairs, strengthening or complete reconstruction.
IIT Bombay Proposed For Audit
According to the proposal submitted by the BMC administration to the Standing Committee, the railways have recommended the reconstruction of four foot overbridges—two each at Masjid Bandar and Matunga-Dharavi—after declaring the structures unsafe.
Before proceeding with reconstruction, however, the civic body has proposed an independent structural audit by IIT Bombay to validate the findings and assess the condition of the bridges.
The decision stems from directions issued by Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar during a coordination meeting with railway authorities in April.
The BMC has proposed appointing IIT Bombay for the structural audit without floating tenders, citing the institute's specialised expertise. While the amended Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act requires competitive bidding for works above Rs 3 lakh, the civic body has sought an exemption under Section 72(3), arguing that public tendering would serve little purpose for such a specialised assignment.
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Bridge Condition To Be Assessed
The audit will assess the structural condition of the four foot overbridges and determine whether they can be repaired and strengthened or require complete reconstruction.
The expenditure will be met from the Bridge Department's budget allocation for 2026-27. Several foot overbridges across Mumbai are jointly owned and maintained by the BMC and the railways under a 50:50 cost-sharing arrangement, making coordination between the two agencies essential for repair and reconstruction works.
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