Wadala footbridge exposes BMC maintenance lapses despite pedestrian-first policy

Unauthorised hawking activities occur in broad daylight on the Wadala East foot bridge on Tuesday. Pics/Sarthak Mehta

Citizens say the pedestrian-first policy of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should cover foot bridges as well. A visit to one such connector, which connects the Wadala Road railway station to Wadala East and comes under the jurisdiction of the BMC's F North ward, on Tuesday exposed shocking negligence in terms of maintenance.

After an inquiry call from this reporter to the ward's maintenance officials during the spot check, a team of cleaning staff promptly arrived at the bridge, but there was only so much they could do, given the scale of the squalor.

Pan stain and trash are seen along the length of the connector

mid-day made multiple attempts to contact Arun Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner of the F North ward, regarding the neglected state of the skywalk, but the official didn't respond by press time.

[popcorn number="50 metres" desc="Length of bridge section with poor lighting" class="Default"]

‘Lighting issue since over two months'

Warren Pereira, a resident of Wadala East, said that for over two months, the lights on the stretch from the railway station to Sangam Nagar had not been working, greatly inconveniencing thousands of commuters. "Safety issues could also arise due to the darkness," he said in an email last Wednesday.

Tactile tiles specifically meant to aid visually impaired passengers were installed haphazardly all over the floor of the skywalk

A few commuters claimed that the lighting issue was observed occasionally on a specific stretch. As per Pereira, his registered grievance regarding the issue was termed invalid by a civic official. "Complaint pertains to BEST," stated the validity remark.

mid-day's findings

>> Extreme buildup of filth
>> No dustbins in sight
>> Trash heaps on floor at multiple spots
>> Webs of overhead cables
>> Multiple tripping hazards
>> Unauthorised hawkers plying trade

A vagrant makes himself at home on the bridge

Citizen Speak

Venkatesh Janga Reddy, 30
‘I have been using this skywalk for two years. I visit the area for work mostly in the afternoon. I have never seen a single sweeper here. There pan stains and even the tiling seems wrong. Yellow tactile tiles for the disabled aren't supposed to be placed on the entire floor, as is the case here. This is dangerous for the visually impaired'

A teacher
‘I visit the area once a week. The bridge is in a deplorable condition. There is an illumination issue on a particular stretch approximately 50 metres in length'

Nandini Mhatre, 18, Wadala resident
‘I've never seen security personnel here, but the skywalk doesn't feel unsafe because there's constant pedestrian movement around the clock. Occasionally lights go out on a specific stretch. Lack of cleanliness is an issue. The bridge has been neglected for years'

A commuter
‘I believe basic sweeping happens at times because the trash scenario worsens in the evenings, as that's when hawking activities peak in parallel to pedestrian movement'