Suffering from noise and air pollution resulting from the Metro works and other under-construction projects ongoing for more than a year now, residents are mulling to relocate, said Pestom Sagar Citizens Forum.
Located in Chembur, the narrow road of the Pestom Sagar residential area now sees heavy traffic which earlier passed through the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). It was diverted here to make space for construction activities.
Forum General Secretary Mohini Thackeray said, “People in our locality, especially senior citizens, are now considering leaving their residence. This is in light of the increasing pollution – both air and sound – caused by the outburst of traffic – that’s right in front of our building.”
Talking about traffic woes, another resident said, “The residents, including children, take the lanes on a daily basis. School buses come twice a day for picking up and dropping children at times when the traffic flow is already high. It chokes up the entire road, making it impossible for residents to even cross a road. It’s even more dangerous for senior citizens.”
The footpath on both sides of the road is encroached on by dwellers, slums, and vendors. “If we want to walk across the road on the footpath, that is also difficult now. Bikers are seen riding on footpaths to avoid traffic. On top of this, there is even a problem of illegal parking and if we question one such vehicle owner, they ask us to give a space to park inside our building complex,” added Ms Thackeray.
The traffic choke-up begins from Amar Mahal Junction and stretches up to Mankhurd. The Chedda Nagar Service Road, too, has slum dwellers. “Service road could have been a solution but that also has similar problems and nobody is doing anything about it as of yet,” another resident added.
The long line of traffic disrupts the movement of emergency services like ambulances as the area has two prominent hospitals.
“If one travels via our lane – it would take not more than 5 minutes. Since the traffic diversion, it now takes easily more than 45 minutes, with the long line of traffic piling up and causing air pollution. Not to mention, the continuous shrill honking,” said Ms Thackeray.
