Mumbai: The authorities have made a total ‘tamasha’ of an important project impacting lakhs of citizens. For the third time, the dismantling and reconstruction of the century-old Sion Road Overbridge (ROB) in front of Sion railway station has been postponed by the Central Railway (CR) and only shuttering work has commenced here.
January 17 was the first date for demolition, then it was postponed to January 20 and then February 29. The first postponement was done at the behest of local MP Rahul Shewale of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and for the third postponement the excuse given is SSC board exams!
Experts Say, 'Citizens Lives Put At Risk'
Experts of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, had certified the bridge to be unsafe three years ago. Though the CR authorities have been conducting regular maintenance and repairs, they are also doing ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ for the dismantling, thereby putting the lives of citizens in jeopardy. A commuter, Laxmi Shankaran said, “Maintenance and repairs are no substitutes for the complete dismantling and reconstruction of the bridge. The railways are putting citizens’ lives at risk.”
A senior railway official on condition of anonymity said, “Apart from safety concerns, the existing ROB is a hindrance to the much-anticipated 5th and 6th line project aimed at upgrading mainline suburban rail operations. Dismantling the aged structure is a prerequisite for it.”
The repeated decision to postpone the dismantling work raises the question as to who will be held accountable if a mishap occurs. Who is to be blamed? The CR or the BMC. It is true that the dismantling will result in massive traffic problems as the ROB is a vital link between the eastern and western segments of Mumbai.
“The safety of the pedestrians and rail commuters is the responsibility of the BMC and the CR, respectively. The public and their representatives will understandably try to postpone the inevitable inconvenience but that cannot be the reason for the BMC and railways to shirk their responsibility,” said Subodh Jain, former general manager of the CR.
Mohammed Afzal, a noted transport expert, said, “The safety of citizens must be the top priority for the government. The delayed dismantling of the ROB poses a serious risk to thousands of daily train commuters. Government actions should prioritise citizens’ safety over political considerations, ensuring immediate action.”
Dismantling Bridge Might Affect Thousands Of Students Appearing Board Examinations
According to the Mumbai traffic police, the decision taken by the CR about dismantling on February 29 was never approved by them, officials said. However, they pointed out that there were several schools in the vicinity, including Our Lady of Good Counsel, Sadhana Vidyalaya, Pratiksha Nagar School and SIES College, and stopping vehicular traffic will add to the stress of thousands of students appearing for the board exams.
“If the ROB is shut, thousands of students will have to take a detour via Sion Hospital, Chunabhatti, Chembur etc,” an official added.
