Don’t turn blind eye to safety of citizens

mid-day visited the spot on Friday, only to find most of the tiles on the Charni Road foot overbridge had cracked or broken loose

Commuters passing through the east side of Charni Road station tread gingerly as tiles on the newly built foot overbridge (FOB) adjacent to the station have broken loose. Broken tile shards lie dangerously close to the edge of the bridge, threatening to fall on unsuspecting passers-by below. BMC officials said these tiles were never meant for outdoor use as they get damaged in heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, frustrated commuters question the civic body's negligence towards pedestrian safety, according to a report in this paper. This FOB was among eight bridges that were declared dangerous for rail commuters in audits conducted following the Himalaya bridge collapse at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in 2019. The FOB was partially rebuilt in 2021, along with the one at Marine Lines. Soon after, tiles started breaking on both FOBs.

One simply cannot comprehend our tendency to do substandard work at the outset, realise this is wrong and then carry out repairs or rebuild the same infrastructure. This pattern has been witnessed in the cases of several projects in the city. It is such a colossal waste of time and money. Tiles that are in danger of falling on people need to be removed at once.

This is yet another aspect of repairs and reconstruction that needs immediate attention. Piles of old material or removed tiles and cement lie in corners or are not cleared till months later. This proves to be hazardous as they become ‘tripping points', especially on crowded station platforms or on pavements where pedestrians are already struggling. This kind of work is inexplicable and inexcusable, and it frustratingly occurs repeatedly. People's safety needs to be sacrosanct. When we are told, and there is wisdom in this, to use FOBs, these should be of the highest quality. Compromising their quality is ironic as people are told to use them to stay safe in the first place.