BMC to set up ‘signal school’ under Amar Mahal flyover

In its endeavour to make good use of the spaces beneath the city’s flyovers, the BMC has tied up with an NGO, the Samarth Bharat Vyaspeeth, to set up a school under the Amar Mahal overpass at Chembur

MUMBAI: In its endeavour to make good use of the spaces beneath the city’s flyovers, the BMC has tied up with an NGO, the Samarth Bharat Vyaspeeth, to set up a school under the Amar Mahal overpass at Chembur. Incidentally, the Mumbai traffic police have dubbed this space the most dangerous crossing in the city and have warned that the BMC will have to take care of its future students.

Mumbai, India. Feb 13,2024 - Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposed the development of the empty space below Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) flyover at Amar Mahal Junction chembur in Mumbai as Signal School for homeless, beggar children. Feb 13,2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The value of the school tender, which was issued by the BMC’s planning department, is ₹1.49 crore. Yamini Patil, assistant engineer of the planning cell, said that the school aimed to provide a learning platform for children who beg or vend at signals or any other children who want an education. “The project will be financed by district planning development funds,” said BMC additional commissioner Sudhakar Shinde. It will cater to 60 to 100 students.

A BMC survey shows that certain areas of Chembur and Kurla have a large number of street children, hence the locale. The civic body will construct bathrooms where the kids can bathe, change into uniforms and then come to class. “We will also provide vocational training like tuning, fitting and welding, which can help them get jobs later,” said Patil.

Ajay Jadhav, sub-engineer of the planning cell, said that the Samarth Bharat Vyaspeeth had been running a school called Signal Shala under the Teen Haat Naka flyover at Thane for the last eight years. “The BMC wants to replicate this idea,” said Bhatu Sawant, CEO of Samarth Bharat who runs Signa Shala. “According to a BMC survey, there are 50,000 homeless street kids in Mumbai. Our survey showed that 100 of these are in the Amar Mahal area.”

Sawant added that Prachi Jambhekar, the BMC director of planning, liked the Signal Shala concept and it was then accepted by the civic body. “The concept of having signal schools has been discussed thrice in the state legislature,” he said. “The BMC has chosen the Amar Mahal flyover.”

Sawant said that most of the street children were from nomadic tribes and could not speak Hindi or Marathi properly. “We will give them regular education, vocational training and will also have robotic and computer labs,” he said. “The BMC has agreed to give us 5,000 square feet.”

The space under the flyover used to be occupied by leprosy patients, who were driven away during the pandemic. A large part is now occupied by the Chembur traffic division, and the BMC will give the remaining space to the school.

There are two flyovers at the Amar Mahal junction. The main one on the Eastern Express Highway is owned by the BMC while the flyover on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road is owned by MMRDA. A senior traffic police officer warned that the junction had had many accidents, and if the BMC wanted to set up a school there, it would have to be careful.