BMC proposes additional repairs to 5 skywalks in western suburbs

After the report submitted by an expert committee led by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed repairs of skywalks at western suburbs

After the report submitted by an expert committee led by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed repairs of skywalks at Borivli, Dahisar West and East, Goregaon and Kandivli (East). The skywalks in Mumbai were audited by the committee after the Himalaya Bridge collapsed at CSMT in March 2019.

The skywalks in Mumbai were audited by the BMC committee after the Himalaya Bridge collapsed at CSMT in March 2019. BMC has proposed repairs of skywalks at western suburbs.

According to the proposal passed by the BMC’s standing committee on Tuesday, the proposal for repair cost has been increased to ₹21 crore from the ₹18 crore in 2019. The repair works will see the implementation of the recommendation by the committee.

Satish Thosar, BMC’s chief engineer of the bridges department said, “The rise in cost is owing to a few recommendations that the committee had given, like using a corrosion-resistant paint, laying of fibre-reinforced polymer on the flooring, among others.”

According to BMC officials, the repairs were proposed in the year 2019, but owing to the committee recommendations, a few more works needed to be taken up leading to the cost escalation.

Apart from the above skywalks, more 23 skywalks are due to undergo major repairs or demolition and reconstruction.

Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to demolish and rebuild part of the city’s first skywalk in Bandra (East). The decision has been taken by the BMC owing to structural defects pointed out by a third-party auditor. According to BMC officials, the stretch between Bandra East station and Western Express Highway will be demolished and rebuilt at the cost of around ₹16.20 crore.

Meanwhile, the Opposition party leader in the BMC and Congress Corporator Ravi Raja, while discussing the repairs of the skywalk, in the meeting said that most of the skywalks constructed by the MMRDA and have now been handed over to the BMC for maintenance have become white elephants. Raja said, “We all know who uses these skywalks and how many commuters prefer to cross from the chaotic traffic-filled road below. This is because at many times there are either hawkers or some persons found to be sleeping on it.”