Mumbai: Illegal stall holds up work on vital bridge in Vikhroli

Since 2011 after a levelcrossing gate was shut down Vikhroli residents have been eagerly awaiting a bridge to bring back the muchneeded eastwest connectivity While pillars have come up on either side of the railway tracks for a new bridge work on it has come to a standstill all because a zhunkabhakar stall stands in the way Locals and church authorities have now threatened to file a PIL as the absence of a bridge is causing inconvenience to school students and residentsBMC has taken note of the stall a year after locals pointed out how it was posing a problem to the bridge The bridge being built at a cost of Rs 6 crorewas expected to improve the traffic situation and offer better eastwest connectivity Currently Vikhroli residents have to take a detour to Ghatkopar of Kanjurmarg to travel either wayBridge engineers are waiting for the local ward office to remove this zhunkabhakar stallClear the landInvestigations by local residents have found that an illegal zhunkabhakar stall has been adamant to move holding up the entire project Officials from BMCs bridges engineering department have now told residents that the local ward office needs to initiate action and clear the land for work on the bridge to begin again But owners of the decadeold stall have allegedly refused to move because they have political supportMeanwhile railway officials said they have been fully cooperating with BMC teams but there are some land acquisition issues and interdepartmental wrangles that are holding up the project Sanjay Kumar Pandav executive engineer bridges eastern suburbs confirmed the issue and said The assistant municipal commissioner of the N Ward has to clear the site The N Ward office did not respond to calls or messages When midday visited the site a boy at the illegal shop refused to speak on the issueAlso ReadMumbai Wide crack appears on Matunga footoverbridge BMC declares it safeA manhole near the stall has been barricaded after an eightyearold child fell into it on MondayAct fast complete workLocals say the area has become a complete mess The entire road is dug up and has become a traffic mess putting the lives of thousands of school students at risk The BMC must act fact and complete the work said Mario Rodrigues chairperson of Vikhroli unit of the Bombay Catholic Sabha Rodrigues has written to the BMCs bridge department about the issueAnother resident Josephine Fernandes said since the past two months it has become very inconvenient to walk on the stretch as the work on the bridge has come to a standstill We do not know why the stall is not being moved All we know is that the area has become risky for school students and senior citizens The authorities need to wake up before a major accident happens here she saidAlso ReadBridge trust deficit between people and plannersRashmi Mishra who commutes through the area daily said the situation has become worse in the past few days with hawkers gathering there Hawkers and auto rickshaws block access to the station Also due to the digging surface of the road has become uneven leading to problems during rush hourHeight of negligenceOn Monday the complications created by incomplete work led to a school boy falling into a manhole right near the illegal stall Though the eight yearold was promptly rescued by locals they are now telling authorities to expedite the work as soon as possible The manhole has been barricaded for now Robert DSouza another resident said This is the height of negligence by BMC They should act fast before more such incidents occurThe level crossing nightmareThe level crossing atVikhroli shut in 2011 had heavy traffic movement and was a nightmare for smooth railway operations It was also risky as a large number of commuters would cross it en masse ignoring speeding trains Following several deaths Central Railway initially decided to build a foot overbridge and shut down the crossing Accordingly in an overnight operation the level crossing atVikhroliwas finally shut on the night of September 17 2011 The priests and parishoners of St Josephs Church and functionaries of the Bombay Catholic Sabha had played a significant role in getting the level crossing closed and pushing for a newbridgeAlso ReadMumbai Central Railway shuts two major bridges at Kurla sending commuters into frenzyCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates