Mumbai: BMC miffed as height barrier on Irla bridge keeps toppling over

An undated photo of the height barrier erected by the civic body at Irla in Vile Parle. PIC/X

A height barrier set up to prevent heavy vehicles from venturing onto a bridge over a nullah at Irla in Vile Parle has fallen at least thrice since it was installed in September, to the annoyance of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Civic officials, who believed that the barrier was being knocked down deliberately, after examining CCTV footage, have decided to shift it 50 metres from its original location to prevent from falling again.

The BMC had appointed agencies to audit bridges regularly and accordingly, measures were taken such as repairing or reconstructing connectors. After receiving written instructions from the bridges department about the dilapidated condition of the bridge over a nullah near the Bata showroom on Irla Road, K West ward officials put a height barrier. As a result, heavy vehicles such as trucks, tempos, buses and cement mixer trucks have to ply a long route via Barfiwala Road or Mithibai Junction.

The notice informing motorists about the state of the bridge

The BMC had put up height barriers on several bridges until they issued work orders for their reconstruction or major repairs. After the Irla barrier fell this week, the BMC erected it again on Wednesday, December 20. The civic body also installed a large board to inform commuters about the height barrier.

An official from the K West ward said, "We thought that someone deliberately knocked the barrier down as there is a market nearby and heavy vehicles have to take a long route due to the barrier. We took CCTV footage from the police to get to the bottom of this." An official said, "It turned out that motorists knock down the barrier unintentionally, so we will shift it a little ahead to prevent this from recurring."

Barrier unpopular

Commuters have been unhappy with such barricades, demanding that they be removed. One Karna Thacker posted on X, formerly Twitter, "These have been erected again. They are blocking critical access. Explain how emergency vehicles like fire trucks and tempos carrying essentials are supposed to navigate?" Another user, Ruben Mascarenhas, posted, "How will fire engines reach Irla Market in the event of a calamity?"

"The BMC installed height barriers on both Linking Road and S V Road to restrict the entry of heavy vehicles, but the quality is such that one of them has fallen again and again. The BMC hadn't put up a notice, but has done so now," said Dhaval Shah, founder of the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association.

Meanwhile, the civic body has yet to repair the Irla bridge. Vivek Kalyankar, chief engineer of the bridges department, said a reconstruction proposal has been submitted for administrative approval. "On receipt of approval, a tender will be floated," he said. He added, "We do audits regularly, based on which we restrict movement of vehicles on a particular bridge in need of repairs."

Dec 20
Last time barrier was erected again