Residents claim the notice, dated September 9, was actually delivered only on September 16, nearly a week after demolition had begun.
The bridge was closed, despite protests, at the stroke of the midnight hour on Saturday. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
The demolition of the Elphinstone Bridge, which began on September 12, has already thrown traffic into disarray. But amid the chaos, another crisis has surfaced, said a report in this paper. Some of the 19 buildings around the bridge have now been served official notices from MHADA, directing them to carry out urgent repairs.
Residents claim the notice, dated September 9, was actually delivered only on September 16, nearly a week after demolition had begun.
Residents stated the delayed notices have added to anxiety. They are struggling not just with the uncertainty of rehabilitation but also with the dust, debris, and incessant noise of demolition.
It is baffling that a notice for repairs has been served when the bridge itself is being demolished. The work affects all the structures in the vicinity. As a local has been quoted as asking in our report that the notice has asked us to carry out urgent repairs, how is that possible when the entire area is under demolition? First, we need clarity about rehabilitation and safety; only then can repairs even be considered.
Imagine the anxiety born out of uncertainty and fear when such a mammoth project is being built in the neighbourhood and there is no clarity with reference to where these residents are supposed to move or what is to become of them. Lives will be upended but yet, there is no clarity.
This is appalling to say the least. Locals need a written plan and clarity about their present and future. In a city, where accommodation is most challenging and nerve-racking, people cannot simply be left in the dark, and if that is not enough, get notices to compound a frightening scenario.
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