30 October,2014 09:05 AM IST | | Chetna Sadadekar
The plan is to clear out all the encroachment along the station’s west side, as well as repair the roads and pavements there, to enable easier pedestrian movement
Navigating the narrow walkways on the west side of Dadar station can be quite a test, especially with the area teeming with shops and hawkers, but this could soon be a thing of the past if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has its way.
Dadar's famous flower market could also be shifted. File pic
Having moved the shops below the Keshavsut flyover, the civic body now intends to give the entire stretch along the station a complete revamp.
Following makeover plans for the railway stations themselves, the BMC has now planned to renovate the premises outside the stations as well, starting with the west side of Dadar station. This will include repairs of both roads and footpaths there, which have been neglected for several years due to the rampant encroachment there.
The civic body plans on shifting the shops and hawkers to other areas with wider footpaths, such as Gokhale Road. It will also begin placing fresh interlocking paver blocks for the pavements, as well as set up two new taxi stands for commuters' convenience.
Even the famed flower market by the station could be moved, suggested BMC officials. One of the senior BMC officers from G/North ward office, said, "The plan started once the shops were demolished under the flyover, and this was done to make walking there easier, and not for more encroachment.
The main issue here is the number of hawkers, but that will soon be handled, as around 7,000 to 8,000 of them will be given new locations for their business. Once the hawkers are gone, in coordination with the Traffic police, we will also make the station premises free of all illegal parking."
The illegal parking issue might be a tougher nut to crack, as the civic body will needs the Traffic department's full cooperation for it. The BMC stands determined to make it happen, however. S V R Srinivas, additional municipal commissioner, said, "The ward office will deal with the hawkers' issue.
Repair work on D'silva Road and the road under the flyover will also be done soon. The pedestrian's right is important, and BMC is working on it." Apart from clearing more space for pedestrians, the plan will also create more space to help connect the third phase of the Metro to Dadar railway station through a subway opening under the flyover.
