Mumbai: Mandal demands that Sion bridge be opened for Ganesh processions

The Sion road was to be shut for repairs from March this year, but the decision has been postponed ever since. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Samiti is demanding access to the road over bridge at Sion for vehicles in the procession of Ganesh idols heading for immersion. As the Sion road over bridge has been closed for heavy vehicles, the committee will be raising this issue and other matters related to the celebration of Ganesh festival in the city with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BMC officials.

President of the committee advocate Naresh Dahibawkar said during the discussion the members also raised concern about the roads which have been temporarily repaired by the BMC. "We have decided to raise these issues with the CM Shinde and BMC officials," said Dahibawkar. Large number of Ganesh utsav mandals and families use Sion road over bridge on the day of immersion. "If the bridge is closed for heavy vehicles, it will create difficulties for the Ganesh devotees during the immersion process. For the same reason, we have also decided to demand access to Gokhale Bridge at Andheri," he said.

The Sion road over bridge has been shut for heavy traffic by the Central Railway since June 21, 2024 as the bridge is old and supposed to be reconstructed. The IIT bridge audit report of Sion road over bridge had sounded an alert about the dilapidated condition of the bridge as early as 2020 stating that continuing to keep the bridge over railway lines is extremely dangerous as its lifespan has expired.

The final plan to demolish the bridge and upgrade it had been worked out by Jan 20, 2024 but then local MP Rahul Shewale had stopped the work multiple times. Shewale claimed that locals should be taken into confidence and that he will take up the issue with the CM. Local residents have claimed that the bridge is the only way for students to reach school.

According to the civic records, of the 371 km of roads taken up for concretion by the BMC in January 2023, work on 93 km of roads has been completed. BMC claims that roads which are yet to be concreted are in a good condition to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.