This city is just one big pedestrian nightmare

The iron hammer head, which is roughly the length of a ball pen

It was a very narrow miss for a dentist who was seriously injured recently after the iron head of a hammer fell from the 11th floor of an under-construction building in Khar West, grazing her head. The injured approached the Khar police, but no FIR has been registered.

This comes merely a month after a 22-year-old died after a cement slab from an under-construction building in Jogeshwari fell on her head while she was on her way to work.

The dentist was rushed to a hospital where she underwent a CT scan and other tests, and fortunately, there was no internal damage. She received multiple stitches as the hammer head had scraped her scalp. The pain is severe, and she is unable to speak properly, as her jaw aches as well.

Today, numerous buildings across the city are under construction. Each building or infra project warrants a safety net to protect those walking underneath or even near it. We must have a protective sheath, given that this is such a crowded, pedestrian-dense city, we simply cannot allow projectiles to rain down from above, injuring people, sometimes gravely and at times, even fatally.

Life cannot be so cheap that builders or contractors or whoever is responsible can get away without ensuring security for people near work on at a specific site.

Whether it be pits dug up for some work, or even work at a height in a building, we must see that there is a safety zone, a ring around a building or site so that people can negotiate that stretch safely. It is abominable that somebody's life may be taken away in an instant, and we continue our callousness.

We need to look down because our roads and footpaths are hazardous. Now, we also need to keep an eye on the sky. Do not be surprised if we see citizens wear full body armour and walk on our roads soon.