BMC bridge or railways? CR, WR to paint, demarcate its bridges to avoid confusion

The Railways will paint and set up boards on all foot overbridges, road overbridges, skywalks and other structures owned by it outside station premises or near tracks.

Amid the blame game between the Railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after Himalaya bridge collapse on March 14, the former has now decided to demarcate bridges constructed and owned by Central Railway and Western Railway in the city.

The Railways has now decided to demarcate bridges constructed and owned by Central Railway and Western Railway in Mumbai (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

The Railways will paint and set up boards on all foot overbridges, road overbridges, skywalks and other structures owned by it outside station premises or near tracks.

The decision comes in the wake of the flak received by CR following the collapse that claimed six lives.

Although the Railways was quick to respond that the bridge was maintained by BMC, railway officials said CR had to bear the brunt of citizens’ anger.

“Blaming us for the collapse of the bridge, which was neither constructed nor maintained by us, is not justified…This is why we decided to demarcate our bridges,” said a senior central railway official, who did not wish to be named.

When contacted, civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta refused to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, senior advocate, V P Patil, 73, has filed a PIL in the Bombay HC, seeking directions to the state and BMC to adequately compensate victims of the Himalaya bridge collapse and initiate criminal action against responsible officials, as stipulated in the Disaster Management Act. The PIL seeks Rs1-crore compensation for the victims’ families and ₹25 lakh for the 31 persons who were injured. Patil has made the chief minister, collector, civic chief, general manager of CR, mayor, BMC ward officer and engineers party to the petition.