After receiving severe criticism from commuters travelling from Vashi railway station, City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) took measures to make the station premises safe.
The planning body is responsible for the maintenance work of the railway stations in Navi Mumbai.
The renovation work had created a mess around the station area. Open manholes, exposed cable wires and heaps of debris had added to the problems of daily commuters.
According to the railway sources, the station sees more than 60,000 commuters every day.
A senior Cidco official said, “We have finished some of the renovation work at the railway station. We removed the garbage from the station gates and have painted the entire premises. Now, you will not see heaps of debris anywhere on the premises. A new lighting system has been installed.”
“The sewage lines around the premises were also repaired. All open manholes have been covered too,” he said.
On June 21, Hindustan Times had highlighted how the town planning agency, while renovating the station complex, had turned a blind eye to the issues faced by commuters.
There was heaps of garbage at the station gates. The sewage lines were dug up, but were left uncovered for nearly two weeks.
{{/usCountry}}There was heaps of garbage at the station gates. The sewage lines were dug up, but were left uncovered for nearly two weeks.
{{/usCountry}}The open manholes outside the station posed danger to pedestrians.
Cidco had drawn flak after they removed two sheds outside the station premises in the first week of June when the pre-monsoon showers had hit the city. It became difficult for commuters to wait for trains during heavy rain.
The official said, “The sheds had not been repaired for almost 20 years and hence there were leakage issues. Therefore, we had decided to repair the sheds too. There are still a few things to do as a part of the renovation work. They will be completed in next few weeks,” he said.
Vashi railway station was built by Cidco in the early 1990s to connect Navi Mumbai to Mumbai through the suburban railway network.
This is the first time Vashi railway station has undergone major renovation work .
AN Singh, manager of Vashi railway station, said, “There were a lot of complaints from commuters. They alleged Cidco was not paying attention to the basic issues.”
He said senior officials from the Central Railway (CR) surveyed the station to know the problems. “We also wrote to Cidco, requesting them to take the requisite measures as soon as possible,” said Singh.
Commuters are looking forward to a revamped station which will make commute smoother. Manshi Singh, 27, a daily commuter, said, “I have been travelling from Vashi railway station since I was a child. I hope Cidco’s steps will benefit us.”