Mumbai : Taking matters into their hands, Central Railway (CR) officials have threatened to disconnect the utilities underlying Carnac and Hancock bridges themselves which include electric supply to JJ Hospital. In a joint meeting with BMC officials on September 29, railway officials have asked BMC to initiate the work of shifting these utilities as soon as possible or else they will disconnect it themselves to start the demolition of the two bridges.
The two bridges have crossed their deadline and are in precarious condition posing a threat to thousands of commuters travelling in the train which run below the bridge. A delegation of railway officials had met BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta asking for BMCs co-operation in dismantling the bridge. Mehta has given a written assurance that the bridge will be cleared for it to be dismantled by November 1st however until now the BMC have not initiated the work of shifting these utilities. Following this in a recently held joint meeting railway have threatened to go ahead and cut the utilities themselves.
A senior official from CR said, “BMC needs to start with the work soon but they have been going to and forth in doing so. If an untoward incident does occur it will not only affect the traffic on the bridge but also majorly the train movement down below.” Hancock bridge is the first of the two bridges which is to be demolished in November. “The traffic police is all set to regulate the traffic which will be massively affected. It is only BMC which has to go ahead,” added the official.
With the dismantling of the bridge, railway officials are also working on creating space for 5th and 6th line between Kurla and CST. After the two bridges are demolished, the pillars that are at present between tracks, will be cleared making some space for an additional line. The pillars of the new bridge which is to come up in the next two years will be outside the railway boundaries.
