Mumbai: Dark streets under Metro stations add to women’s safety scare

Amid concerns about womenrsquos safety midday visited Metro stations on the Red and Yellow lines whose commuters expressed anxiety over the lastmile journey to their homes Many stations lacked welllit pedestrianfriendly pathways while spaces under bridges were shrouded in darkness after sunset The state of three stations on Line 7mdashDindoshi Poisar and Rashtriya Udyanmdashwas particularly worrisomeRegular commuters and pedestrians told midday that these spots need to be better litSunita Prajapati Metro commuterThe lack of proper street lighting sparse security presence parking encroachment and dugup roads have become a matter of concern particularly for women commuters who said their lastmile journey which involves a short walk or an auto ride can be unnerving These vulnerable stretches below Metro stations are poorly maintained exacerbating the situation Commuters frequently report witnessing groups of loiterers dimly lit alleyways and deserted roadsDindoshi Metro stationThe nearly 15 km stretch of the footpath alongside the Western Express Highway extending from Dindoshi Metro station to the road opposite Oberoi Mall is enveloped in darkness after sunset The area feels particularly isolated after 9 pm with only a small shop selling paan and cigarettes near the Metro exit offering some semblance of activity Beyond this the road is poorly illuminated with only occasional light from the highwayrsquos streetlights and the distant glow of Oberoi Mall This lack of proper lighting makes the path feel unsafe for pedestrians especially after darkldquoI try to leave work early to reach home before dark Walking alone from the Metro station to my house feels unsafe as there is no proper lighting From the metro station I walk towards my building in Gokuldham opposite Oberoi Mall Even the space below the flyover running along the stretch is dirty and darkrdquo said Swati Shah a marketing professional who commutes via Metro daily from Gundavli to Dindoshi Shah added ldquoSometimes random people are standing and smoking in the dark I keep up the pace while passing by there is a bus stop ahead except for one or two of them I hardly see people there after 9930 pm Besides poor lighting huge metro poles add to the darkness and make the stretch seem unsaferdquoTejas Shetye a commuter who works with a construction company said that he travels daily from Magathane Borivli to Dindoshi ldquoTravel for me has become very convenient thanks to the Metro Its fast and affordable My home and office are within walking distance from Metro stations so it is very convenient Usually I reach Dindoshi after 930 pm The stretch towards Aarey and Oberoi Mall looks very risky I feel someone can snatch my wallet or bag very easily Itrsquos even riskier for women pedestrians Some of the streetlights on the Western Express Highway especially along this stretch are not operationalrdquoPoisar Metro station is shrouded in darkness on Thursday evening PicsSatej ShindeldquoI avoid taking the Metro late in the evening if I am travelling alone The roads near the station are so dark itrsquos scary Streetlights are urgently needed on this pathrdquo said Preeti Kashyap a college student who commutes between Andheri and DindoshiPoisar Metro stationA nearly onekm stretch from Poisar Metro station passing through the Central Ordnance Depot Kandivli towards Borivli is dug up at a few spots poorly lit and feels very isolated according to commuters The stretch also serves as a service road frequently used by vehicles With footpaths broken in several places pedestrians are forced to walk on the road increasing the risk of accidentsSunita Prajapati right and her friend Sayali Mayekar who reside BorivliSeveral women have raised concerns about the lack of security patrols near the Metro exit Many have suggested an urgent need for additional streetlights and regular patrolling to help ease their fearsSunita Prajapati a commuter said that she and her friend both Borivli residents had been visiting a nearby hospital For the past three days their journey from the Metro station to the nursing home felt like a race against time ldquoWhen Irsquom alone I literally run to Poisar Metro station Itrsquos so dark and therersquos a section thatrsquos been dug uprdquo said Prajapati who works in financeA dimly lit broken footpath outside Dindoshi Metro station PicsSatej ShindeShe recounted a recent incident ldquoOne night around 930 pm my friend and I were walking toward Poisar station when we heard someone shouting behind us When we turned to look at him he was smiling at us eerily We donrsquot know what his intentions were If someone were to harass or attack us or even snatch our belongings in such a dark stretch what would we doPrajapatirsquos friend Sayali Mayekar a housewife echoed her concerns ldquoIrsquove seen the stretch from Poisar station to Borivali in darkness for a long time How can the authorities not notice this and act It feels so unsaferdquoRashtriya UdyaanA small stretch of road more than half a kilometre long just past Rashtriya Udyan Metro station towards Dahisar is enveloped in darkness according to several commutersldquoAfter 930 pm all you see are vehicles speeding along the Western Express Highway This stretch while walking from Rashtriya Udyan Metro station towards Dahisar is completely dark and now underconstruction toilet blocks which look like abandoned structures in the evening pose a serious safety risk especially for womenrdquo said Esmeralda Pinto a Borivli resident and nursePinto added ldquoWhen I once raised this issue with someone at the Metro station they told me its not their responsibilitymdashthat the BMC Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is in charge of streetlights and lighting outside But do BMC officials ever travel on these roads or inspect the street lighting and amenities If they did Irsquom sure the situation wouldnrsquot be like thisrdquo ExpertSpeakExperts and social activists have emphasised that resolving lastmile connectivity issues is vital for a smooth commuting experience especially in a city like Mumbai where millions rely on public transport dailyldquoThe Metro is a significant step toward reducing traffic congestion but unless the authorities address the lastmile connectivity and safety concerns especially for women the full potential of the system will not be realised There is a lack of pragmatic urban planning to align with the requirements of the commutersrdquo said Mithali Rajesh a student of urban planningRishi Aggarwal founder of the Walking Project an advocacy group established in 2012 to promote safer and more enjoyable walking experiences in Indian cities said ldquoRoad sections below and around Metro stations continue to remain poorly lit compared to nearby areas at several locations across the city When it comes to walkability even the MMRDA Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has a responsibility to ensure safe and accessible pathways Ten years ago the TransitOriented Development TOD policy was introduced with walkability being one of its most important aspects but little has changed since The BMC and MMRDA must ensure that the pathways are in good condition are well accessible and have enough lighting Commuters especially women are the most affected by these shortcomings I have seen the stretch outside Poisar station that lacks adequate lighting With no active governance in the BMC for over 25 years since the public representatives or corporators who would typically address such issues are absent the issue seems to have been neglectedrdquoWhat officials sayA senior BMC official said they were working on plans to improve lighting and pedestrian pathways ldquoWe understand the concerns especially around womenrsquos safety and will be collaborating with local authorities to address the situation and ensure more efficient lastmile solutions especially during late hoursrdquo the official saidKiran Dighavkar assistant municipal commissioner of P South ward addressing concerns about the road stretch between Dindoshi Metro station and Oberoi Mall stated ldquoWe have already begun improving illumination across the ward Whenever we receive complaints about poorly lit areasmdashwhether from the police activists or citizensmdashwe act immediately to enhance lighting In this case we will conduct an audit engage with Adani Electricity officials and work to illuminate the stretch at the earliestrdquoPedestrian issuesExperts point out that poor lighting and deteriorating footpaths highlight the failure of the civic body and other planning authorities to effectively implement a pedestrianfirst policyIn 2008 authorities attempted to improve pedestrian access in the city by constructing skywalks between stations and major thoroughfares a joint effort by the state government and local entities Bandra and Santa Cruz stations were selected as initial sites However the skywalks have remained largely underutilised due to a lack of convenient exits poor security hawker encroachment and improper design Additionally they are too steep for easy access especially for senior citizens and womenAggarwal said ldquoThe plan back then was to work with the BMC and other planning authorities to create the best walking environment in the country for Mumbai A decade later the city still faces the same issuesmdashnonwalkable or pedestrianunfriendly roads While millions are spent on roads flyovers and bridges to accommodate the growing number of cars no attention is given to walkersrdquoAggarwal attributes the current state of affairs to a lack of consistent planning by the authorities Every year the BMC and other planning agencies introduce new projects with attractive names but they fail to address the core issue The problem lies within the road department and the chief engineers who need to be sensitised to pedestrian issues The Indian Roads Congress had developed detailed guidelines for roads and footpaths and the BMC has its own Pedestrian First policy Sadly none of these guidelines have been properly implemented Installing adequate lighting on pedestrian walkways is crucial for making the cityrsquos roads more walkablerdquo he added Rs 100 crAmount allocated by BMC for footpath repairs in 2019Rs 7 crFootpath repair budget in 2020Where is policy for pedestriansIn 2019 the corporation allocated R100 crore for footpath repairs but half of that amount was diverted to support the financially struggling BEST The pandemic and a sharp drop in revenue led the BMC to slash the footpath repair budget by 86 per cent in 2020 reducing it from R50 crore to R7 crore Officials cited the focus on COVID19 as a primary reason for the lack of attention to the projectIn the postCOVID era while several beautification projects were initiated across the city footpaths remain either in poor condition or heavily encroachedCommuters who spoke to midday said they would continue to tread cautiously and hope for swift action