Nana Chowk residents wants to remove escalator from skywalk

Viraj Karnik Sameer and Salil Karnik Rajesh Shah Vikram Mukhi Dr M Sampura K Shah and S Chowrasia outside the building Nana Chowk residents added yet another page to their thick file documenting meetings and letters in their remove the skywalk escalator mission This out of service escalator which is one arm of the skywalk that came up in mid 2014 has barely functioned for a month since inception is nothing but a nusiance a hazard and has made prisoners of us say angry Ishwardas Mansion a building which has the escalator right in front of its gate barely two steps disance residentsThe Bharatiya Janata Partys BJP Shaina NC visited the site on August 10 Thursday evening and facilitated a meeting between residents and MMRDA officials on Monday August 21Dr M Sampura points to the grills in his balcony Pics Bipin KokateLoad of hogwashShaina NC said it is entirely feasible to move the escalator and separate it from the skywalk and install it elsewhere I think this is a load of hogwash and a complete waste of public money The previous government has a lot of answering to do about why this skywalk and the escalator in particular has been installed hereWhat moreResidents have to meet MMRDAs Praveen Darade at the MMRDA office at BandraKurla Complex BKC on Monday August 21 at 12 pmLocals say they are tired of showing proof that the escalator which has been practically defunct since inception it came up a few days after the skywalk is blocking Ishwardas Mansion building entrance Says Viraj Karnik pointing to how there is only a narrow gap between the esclator entrance and the buildingIn case of a fire we are tandoori chicken she says dramatically while other residents concurThe nonfunctional escalatorThefts and lossesCommerical stores have felt the heat with the escalator practically covering their sigboard and entrance Yogesh Shah and Bhavin S partners of Mandvi a 73 yearold medical store located just behind the escalator say Our walk in customers have fallen by half as the escalator hides our signboard and people cannot see the store entrance Bhavin adds The escalator is a huge security risk Around six months ago my shop was burgled of some money at night The locks were broken and money taken from the cash box The thieves may have been emboldened by the fact that nobody could see them as my shop is behind the escalatorFor Sunil Chowrasia whose shop selling building material is located behind the escalator at the base of Ishwardas Mansion I have suffered a burglary too Moreover I actually changed the nature of my business I had a ceramics store called Sai Ceramics Once the escalator came in the ceramics showroom became practically invisible I changed to selling building materialViraj KarnikBell the catFor residents who have pressed for escalator removal earlier through numerous meetings with local representatives and letters it is a matter of who will bell the cat Every local leader arrives at the site and sympathizes with us yet we do not see any action They concur that the escalator is a hazard it must be removedhellip but who can take action Who will do so ask Virajs sons Sameer and Salil KarnikCM to CMAnother Ishwardas Mansion resident Vikram Mukhi says this escalator which is part of the skywalk was installed by former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh Now it should be removed by our current CM D Fadnavis it is that simpleYogesh Shah and Bhavin Shah at Mandvi ChemistAmbulance obstacleFor Ketki Shah it was heartbreaking that an ambulance could not park outside the gate of our building when my late mother in law was unwell We had to carry her for a distance to even place her in the ambulance says the lady pointing to a distance away where the ambulance had to parkGrilled upFirst floor resident Dr M Sampura who had bought his flat from former Maharashtra CM Sushilkumar Shinde is suffering greatly The doctors blacony is completely cut off from light or air the very purpose of a balcony is for light and air he says and there are grills all around my home for security as the escalator is so close anybody can claimb in if the windows were without grills he says pointing to the escalator just an arms distance away from his balcony I am a prisoner in my own home he smiles wrylyTrapped hereRajesh Shah resident also adds we are trapped here There is no escape in case of calamity like fire or an earthquake In fact Nana Chowk locals want the skywalk itself removed but first this escalator which serves no purpose at all must go We hope to move forward at this meeting says Ishwardas residents who have already started collecting signatures of locals for the upcoming meeting