Mumbai: Broken gutters and blocked paths put Don Bosco students at risk

The gutters outside Borivli West Metro station and Don Bosco High School. Pics/Satej Shinde

The safety of school-going children is at serious risk due to the hazardous condition of gutters and construction of a BMC water-pumping shed near Don Bosco High School in Borivli West. Parents and residents have expressed concern about the potential dangers posed by these infrastructural issues, which are making the journey to and from school dangerous.

The gutters outside Borivli West Metro station on Link Road's southbound stretch just outside the compound of Don Bosco High School are in a dilapidated state. Large, open gutter openings have been left unaddressed, creating a situation where even motorists are at risk.

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The open gutters pose a risk to students

"A student's leg could easily get stuck in one of these openings, and motorcyclists are facing the issue of their bike tyres becoming lodged in the gaps. This is not just a matter of inconvenience; it is a matter of safety that demands immediate attention," said Arthur Menezes, a resident.

He added, "I have seen specially abled children come to school every day from this route. Imagine if the footpath is blocked and these children are forced to walk on the busy traffic roads and if some student gets their leg stuck in the openings. As a matter of fact, not just specially abled children but also other kids or any individual is in direct danger."

Elroy Dias, a parent whose child goes to Don Bosco High School, said, "I am a victim of these broken gutters. One day, I was heading to school from IC Colony to pick up my child. While coming to school, my scooter's tyre got stuck in one of the openings. If a tyre can get stuck inside the opening, kids' legs can easily get stuck inside them. I might have even fallen off of my scooter if it was not for the footpath barrier which I caught in time."

He added, "I am not sure why the civic body is not taking immediate action. These broken gutter drains' metal lids should have been replaced long back as they were broken before the monsoon arrival. Why is BMC waiting for a major accident to happen before taking any action?"

Motorists have expressed fears about their tyres getting stuck in openings

Adding to the complexity of the situation, BMC has recently constructed a water-pumping shed on the footpath adjacent to the school compound as the area gets flooded during rains. The shed, which blocks the entire width of the footpath, is forcing students and pedestrians to walk on the road, directly into the path of oncoming traffic. This has significantly heightened the risk of accidents, with the lives of young children being particularly endangered.

Another resident said "The shed is constructed in such a way that at any given point, there is hardly any space for even one individual to walk on the footpath. No doubt the pumping is necessary during rains but the shed could be constructed in a way that at least some part of the footpath remains accessible. This footpath leads directly to the school gate and children often used to use it before the shed was constructed. After the shed came, children and other pedestrians also are forced to walk on the always busy roads fearing a risk of an accident."

A broken drain, which poses a threat to motorists

Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant municipal commissioner, R Central ward, said, "Because of the monsoon, the work could not be done on the broken metal lid drains. The repair work will be taken up soon." Asked about the water-pumping shed, she said, "Based on historical data from the past few years for waterlogging in the area, these water-pumping sheds have been made so that the water is pumped out as soon as possible."

She added, "If the shed is blocking the footpath to such an extent, we will look into the matter and relocate it in such a way that it is close to the gutter system so that water is pumped out quickly but is not occupying the whole width of the footpath so that pedestrians can resume using the footpath instead of being forced to walk on the roads which raise the risk of an accident."