Officials claimed they had to allow the structures to be built or the Project Affected Persons (PAP) would not have vacated the area for the Jogeshwari Road Over Bridge
While the Road Over Bridge (ROB) in Jogeshwari has eased the commute for motorists, the construction of more than ten ground plus one structures under it, has become a matter of concern.
When mid-day visited the ROB on Friday, we found over 10 illegal structures constructed under it. The people who own these structures have also installed dish antennas on the safety wall of the median carriageway of the ROB. Pics/Nimesh Dave
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According to a state government resolution (GR) issued in 2009, the parking of vehicles under flyovers has been banned, as it was perceived as a security threat post the 26/11 attacks. However, the BMC clearly seems to have forgotten about the GR, since it has allowed over 10 structures to come up under the flyover.
According to the GR, parking under flyovers and bridges has been banned because terrorists could possibly park of explosives laden vehicles below them. The MSRDC even stopped the pay-and-park under its flyovers and action was taken against those who had made illegal structures below flyovers.
What is shocking is that the BMC seems to have forgotten this rule, since it has allowed the construction of structures of Project Affected People (PAP) below the Jogeshwari ROB. Anyone who travels via the bridge can see more than ten ground-plus-one structures that have come up.
A senior BMC official, who did not wish to be named, said, “We know about the rule but the permission was given to PAPs so that we can complete the project. Had the permission not been given, the PAPs would have not vacated the area and the project could have not been completed.”
Dish antennas installed
When mid-day visited the area below the Jogeshwari FOB on Friday, we found that there are more than ten permanent structures that have been constructed. A local said, “The people who had constructed these structures are the PAPs, affected during the construction of the ROB.
The structures have been constructed after getting permission from the BMC.” The people and shopkeepers who own these structures have also gone ahead and installed dish TV antennas on the safety wall of the median carriageway of the ROB, from where the vehicles travel.
Darshan Doke, a biker who regularly uses the bridge said, “I was shocked to see the construction of structures below the ROB. The parking of vehicles below the flyovers is banned and with these structures coming in, there would be vehicles that too will be parked below the bridge, which is a matter of concern.
I seriously don’t understand how the BMC permitted this. The residents of these structures might have used drilling machine to fix the antennas, which can be dangerous for the structure of the bridge.”
BMC says
BMC Chief Engineer (Bridges) SO Kore said, “All I want to say is that the ROB project would not have been completed, had we not allowed the PAPs to construct temporary structures.
These are temporary structures and once the transit accommodation for them is ready, we would move them away. I would ask the concerned BMC official to look into the matter and we will ask them to remove TV antennas from the ROB.”
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