Mumbai: Sion flyover sparks safety concerns over blocked school and church entrances

The entrance to Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Church in Sion, obstructed by the landing of the reconstructed flyover. Pic/Shadab Khan

A flyover that was meant to improve connectivity has left a school and church in Sion grappling with severely restricted access, with residents questioning how the civic authorities allowed the structure to come so close to their entrance. Around 150 parishioners, students, and their families gathered outside Our Lady of Good Counsel Church and School on Sunday morning, holding a silent protest and demanding answers from the BMC.

The protest follows the reopening of the reconstructed Sion flyover in mid-October. Once the barricades were removed, residents said they were shocked to find that the flyover's landing extended beyond the school entrance, leaving little room for vehicles to enter the premises. They said they had expected the structure to end before the entrance, allowing vehicles to drop off and pick up students.

The students and the parishioners of Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Church in Sion protest on Sunday. Pics/By Special Arrangement

"Parking in front of any entrance attracts a fine from the traffic police. But here, we have an entire flyover landing at our school gate, blocking vehicular access. How is this acceptable?" asked Chrystal Colaco, a parishioner who participated in the protest.

Emergency access a major concern

The restricted space outside the premises has also raised concerns about pedestrian movement and access for emergency vehicles.

"There is barely a foot and a half of space for people to pass between the school and Sion station. This has resulted in congestion right outside our entrance," said parishioner Meena Khule. She said the flyover and the skywalk landing, located next to the school, had left enough room for barely one two-wheeler to pass.

"This has created serious problems for our children and parishioners. We fear that if an emergency occurs, first responders will struggle to reach the premises. How will a fire brigade get in if there is no access?" she asked. Colaco questioned the planning behind the project, saying the impact on the school's entrance should have been anticipated before construction began.

Students forced to walk from drop-off points

The school has also raised concerns about the safety of students, particularly younger children who are now dropped off some distance from the entrance. "Students currently get off about 100 metres away from the school. They have to walk along a narrow footpath, where hawkers, drunkards and other anti-social elements are present. How can pre-primary children be expected to walk in such conditions? Both our school gates have been obstructed by the skywalk and the flyover," said Father Salvador D'Souza, the school principal. Children from the school also joined Sunday's protest, holding placards demanding that their access route be restored.

‘The church was never consulted'

Josh D'Souza, a long-time member of the church, said the construction had also obscured Gate 1, which is around 100 years old.

"Our simple question is why the church was not taken into confidence while the construction was under way. With barricades covering the site, we could not have known how the finished structure would look. It was only a few days before the inauguration, after the barricades were removed, that we realised the flyover extended around 10 metres beyond the premises," he said.

He added that the entrance now had a height difference of around four feet from the main road, making vehicular access difficult.

"Vehicles picking up students can no longer reach the gate. School buses drop children around 100 metres away, forcing them to walk the remaining distance. Elderly and physically disabled parishioners are also finding it much harder to come to church. How is this fair?" he asked.

D'Souza also flagged the presence of hawkers using gas cylinders outside the school, calling it a longstanding safety hazard that had gone unaddressed despite repeated concerns.

BMC response

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar said, "As the Railways required additional clearance from the tracks, they raised the height of the bridge. Consequently, the approach roads also had to be raised, which narrowed the entrance to the premises."

What the protesters want

The protesters have put forward three demands to the BMC:
>> Restore vehicular access: Ensure vehicles can enter the school premises for student drop-offs and pick-ups
>> Remove the skywalk: Parishioners have questioned its utility and said its landing further restricts access
>> Declare a no-hawking zone: Keep the footpaths outside the school free of hawkers and encroachments