Mumbai: Incomplete skywalk in Santacruz East causes major inconvenience for pedestrians

Pedestrians in Santacruz East are facing a new problem in the area due to incomplete infrastructure in the form of a skywalk on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road which completely lacks a roof The skywalk connects Santacruz West to Santacruz East starting from SV Road in the West to the Military Camp in the EastNo respite from heatDuring the day intense heat from the sun makes it difficult to use the skywalk Reynold Abraham a resident of the area said ldquoMany choose to walk on the road because without a roof it doesnrsquot provide much respite to usrdquoOne of several alcohol bottles seen lying on the bridgeThe lack of shade makes walking on the skywalk as difficult as walking on the road as there is nothing protecting pedestrians from the heat In fact walking on the road helps because there is at least the shade from buildings that shields us from the heatrdquo Abraham addedWhen this reporter visited the skywalk only a few people were seen using it to avoid traffic on the road below ldquoUsing this skywalk drains us From SV Road to the Vakola signal is properly shaded but beyond Valoka signal there is nothingrdquo said a pedestrian The lack of a roof also caused several issues during the monsoon as pedestrians would end up getting drenched if it rained unexpectedly Daily users like Abraham say that there is a ldquodesperate needrdquo for a roofGets worse after darkDimly lit access blocked by hawkers PICMADHULIKA RAM KAVATTURWhile many have faced issues due to the missing roof in the afternoon heat and rain the evening brings troubles along the entire stretch of the skywalk ldquoMany who try to walk back home in the evening from any side of the skywalk encounter hawkers blocking their path or people sleeping on the skywalk forcing the whole walking crowd to manoeuvre around themrdquo said AbrahamHawkers block the path with their waresAccording to Abraham he has never seen women walking on the skywalk alone after 7 pm once it gets dark Confirming this this reporter met three women mdash Divya Ganeshan Madhumita Arjun and Sneha Arjun mdash who said they use the skywalk mostly when they have to walk to and from the marketWaste dumped on the skywalkldquoWe mostly avoid using the skywalk after it gets dark and the rare times we have to get from one side to another we walk on the footpath along the roadrdquo Ganeshan said talking about their usage of the skywalkA number of people are always found sleeping on the skywalkAbraham claims that in the evenings he has also witnessed people consuming alcohol and being publicly indecent on the skywalk This reporter also saw several alcohol bottles lying around on the skywalk and also a used syringe which was randomly lying in a cornerPeople cross the bridge in pitch darkness PICMADHULIKA RAM KAVATTURmidday contacted the H East ward office regarding the issue to ascertain why no roof has been installed yet and why no action had been initiated against those sleeping and consuming alcohol on the skywalk However no response was received till the time of going to press