Mumbai: Mazgaon Hill stands in way of Dockyard Road foot over bridge

The Mazgaon Hill is a water reservoir with a garden on top

Will Mazgaon Hill be further dug up for a new foot overbridge (FOB) at Dockyard Road station? The old hill is at the south end of the railway station where there's no FOB to go from one platform to another.

During a visit to the railway station on Thursday, MP Arvind Sawant said that the south end needs a FOB. "The stations on the priority list remain Sewri, Reay Road and Cotton Green, work on which shall be expedited. At Dockyard Road station, commuters wanting to go to the east side are forced to cross railway tracks. A small FOB would ease the problem. I discussed the issue but due to the hill, there are limitations," Sawant told mid-day.

Asked specifically if it would require quarrying of the hill, Sawant said no. "The railways has done some work there and the new FOB can land easily on the station at the end of the platform and would require no further quarrying." Railway officials said that there are some space constraints to provide a bridge and staircase at the station's platform no. 1 due to the hill.

"It will be technically challenging. However, railways will make efforts to build an FOB. Necessary work will be proposed for sanction. We will take the necessary support/approvals from BMC," a railway engineer said. Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said, "We are exploring the technical feasibility at both locations in coordination with the BMC."

An old relic
The Mazgaon Hill or the Bhandarwada Hill is actually a water reservoir and a huge public garden named the Joseph Baptista Gardens. Locally called the Mazagaon Gardens, it is a 1.5-acre park. Lying atop the hill, it offers a panoramic view of the Mumbai harbour and the southern business district. Beneath the gardens is a water reservoir. Shortly after India's independence, the garden was named after Joseph Baptista, an Indian freedom activist.

Hancock Bridge-Sandhurst Road link
During the review meeting on Thursday, it was revealed that the railways and the BMC will eventually build a small FOB linking Sandhurst Road station to Hancock Bridge. The FOB will begin near the Fazalani school campus and connect to the station's platform.

1.5 acres
Area of the public garden atop the hill

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