There are around 24 old and dilapidated structures along rail tracks between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Sandhurst Road station that need urgent attention to prevent any more disasters along the stretch.
On July 7, a portion of an old dilapidated BEST sub-station erected on the railway boundary wall collapsed on the track near Masjid station.
“A major disaster was averted due to the alertness of a motorman on July 7. The structure wall collapsed onto the Harbor Line track near Masjid railway station around 7 am and it had to be completely demolished by enforcing an emergency block. This resulted in partial cancellation of around 50 local trains and more than 100 trains were delayed by up to 15 minutes,” a railway official said, adding that around two dozen old buildings/structures that needed urgent attention were identified along the stretch during an inspection.
“The sewage water outlets of these buildings open towards the railway track. The continuous discharge of sewage from these buildings is creating slushy conditions on the rail tracks. The stagnation of water near these substructures may cause them to weaken further and collapse in the future,” said the official.
He added that if these structures collapse they could hamper rail traffic movement or even result in a catastrophe, endangering the lives of railway passengers and occupants of the structures.
When contacted, Central Railway's chief public relations officer, Shivaji Sutar said, “Keeping in mind smooth operation of trains, we have advised the BMC to take necessary action on dilapidated / old structures located near the track between CSMT and Sandhurst Road.”
Dhanaji Hirlekar, assistant commissioner of BMC's B ward said the civic body has received a letter from railways. A notice has been sent to more than 50 buildings.
