Debris to dust: New Link Road between Dahisar and Kandivli, a motorist’s horror

The BMC has put up barriers to carry out road stripe work at Kandivli. Pics/Anurag Ahire

Construction material and debris kept near the road median is posing an obstacle to motorists, bikers and daily travellers on the New Link Road between Dahisar and Kandivli, especially during peak hours. The debris, along with ongoing work, is not only taking away space on the road but is also causing dust pollution.

In a bid to check the situation, a mid-day team travelled on the stretch below Metro-2A between Dahanukarwadi and Anand Nagar on Thursday and found debris, from MMRDA's Metro work, lying on the road at many places and that the road surface was also uneven at some stretches. The BMC is also carrying out road stripes work at a few locations, which is leading to dust pollution, said regular travellers.

Debris from Metro construction work kept near the road median on New Link Road at Kandivli

On the north-bound stretch near Dahanukarwadi, debris was kept next to the median and a wide portion on the side of the road was covered with concrete and mud, which poses a risk to two-wheelers. The situation was the same near Pahadi Eksar Metro station where debris was lying adjacent to the median and the footpath was in a bad state with mud scattered all over. The situation was no different near Kandarpada Metro station as well. In addition to this, some unregistered vehicles were also seen parked next to the median, which adds to the traffic congestion on this busy stretch.

Hiren Patel, a motorist, said, "I travel between Dahisar and Andheri via New Link Road regularly. Ever since the Metro work started, travelling on this stretch has been a nightmare. We were expecting that at least after the stretch between Dahanukarwadi and Dahisar opened, the road below the corridor would be improved, but debris and construction material continue to eat up space, which leads to traffic jams. Another big issue on this stretch is dust pollution, caused due to the road work being carried out by the BMC."

Dahisar-based activist Harish Pandey, who is also a member of New Link Road Residents Forum, said, "The condition of the road is bad at many places below the Metro corridor between Dahanukarwadi and Dahisar, putting pedestrians at risk too. My building is next to Kandarpada station and we are facing dust pollution. The monsoon is approaching and if the road work is not completed at the earliest, things will turn from bad to worse."