Kandivali residents show BMC how to make their travels safe

Residents of Lokhandwala Complex in Kandivali East propose a traffic improvement plan to tackle chronic congestion and safety issues on local roads.

MUMBAI: For over a decade, residents of 20,000 flats of Lokhandwala Complex, a township in Kandivali East, situated on the east of the Western Express Highway (WEH), have been beleaguered with traffic snarls, accidents and frequent incidents of road rage. As their complaints to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and traffic police failed to yield any action, they decided to take charge.

Vidhisha Dhar (in a pink shirt), an engineer, drew up the blueprint for BMC, after many discussions with other residents.

They have created a blueprint that details a scientific way to improve the road leading to the township, which would help manage traffic, and presented it to the civic body recently.

One-and-a-half kilometers of a 90-ft road connects the township to WEH. Motorists are compelled to drive through this stretch crowded with shops and autorickshaws parked on both sides. A huge garbage dump along the way also adds to the chaos. The main intersection at the entrance of the township – Sant Dyaneshwar Chowk – has witnessed many accidents over the years. Of equal concern is the intersection of the Lokhandwala Foundation School, which is without a safe footpath; motorists are known to speed, putting children’s lives at risk.

Sound designer Gunjan Srivastav, a resident of the township, said: “There have been many fatal accidents due to the misalignment of the Dyaneshwar Chowk. There is an incident of road rage every day, involving errant auto drivers who misbehave and even assault pedestrians.” Another resident and member of We All Connect (wAc), a citizens’ group that works with civic authorities for the betterment of the township, Santosh Shetty said, “During peak hours, it takes one-and-half-hours to cross this stretch connecting Akurli Road.”

When citizens turn to traffic police to intervene, “they express their inability to find solutions for want of manpower”, they said in unison.

Jagdish Bhopale, senior PI of the Samta Nagar traffic division, said: “We have similar requests from all the areas in our jurisdiction. There is need for intervention for smooth vehicular movement and law enforcement.”

Along the 1.5-km Akurli Road which leads to the township lies a divider, with at least 17 open points that autorickshaw drivers use to pass through quickly. “I have been writing to BMC since the past one-and-half years to close these open points, but the work has not been done yet,” said Bhopale. “We penalize at least 150 auto drivers every day there but the situation has not improved. Closing the open points in the divider can make a small difference.”

After many group discussions with residents and members of wAc, Vidhisha Dhar, an engineer and resident of Whispering Palms in the township, who works at Arcadis IBI Group, created a blueprint to free up the two spots to facilitate ease of traffic flow and help pedestrians to cross.

The focus was to reimagine Sant Dyaneshwar Chowk and the intersection of the Lokhandwala Foundation School.

“I have watched how each time residents meet authorities, they come away with empty promises. That’s when I stepped up to help,” said Dhar. “It took a few months’ to draw up the plan as I had a good understanding of the area’s topography.”

Shetty added, “Engaging a development assessment company would have been a lengthy process but Dhar was aware of the issue and therefore prepared the plan. If the project is sanctioned, BMC could replicate this initiative to other wards.”

MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, who has an office along the 90-ft road, facilitated dialogue between residents, and civic and traffic authorities. “The proposal has been submitted to the assistant municipal commissioner of the ward. Once sanctioned, tenders will be issued for the work. We hope it will be done before the monsoons,” said Bhatkhalkar.

Balaji Birajdar, assistant engineer, roads, of BMC’s R-South ward, said: “We have received the proposal which will be sanctioned shortly. Meanwhile, we are working on closing the gaps in the dividers soon.”