Speed up building of makeshift bridge: HC

MUMBAI: The central government was ordered by the Bombay high court (HC) to expedite the process of providing technical assistance to the Brihanmumbai Municipal

MUMBAI: The central government was ordered by the Bombay high court (HC) to expedite the process of providing technical assistance to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to construct of a temporary foot overbridge at the site of the now demolished Hancock bridge near Sandhurst Road.

HT Image

The court had earlier directed the BMC to seek the help and expertise of the Army “by way of last resort” for construction of the temporary structure.

On Wednesday, the corporation informed the court that consulting the Indian Army for ideas is a “cumbersome process considering the requisite permissions to contact them” and that it had also already communicated to the centre, its need for such a sanction.

The BMC also told the court that it had already invited tenders for the construction of the temporary bridge.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a city resident, highlighting the rise in instances of deaths of pedestrians and rail passengers forced to walk across the railway tracks at Sandhurst Road in the absence of an alternate bridge.

According to the plea, ever since the bridge was demolished in January this year, pedestrians and suburban rail commuters have had no option but to cross the tracks between Sandhurst Road and Byculla stations to reach either side.

Last month, following a site inspection and joint meeting between the railways and the BMC, the railways had submitted that it was “not feasible” to construct a temporary FoB at the site because a water pipeline ran very close to the proposed site.

The corporation, however, had agreed to take the help of the Centre and of the Army to make a last attempt at come up with a feasible plan.