Fix dark, slippery Borivli jetty before a disaster strikes

Commuters cross the jetty during low tide on the Borivli side on Thursday. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Commuters who use the ferry service to cross Gorai creek are facing many difficulties, especially on the 400-meter-long jetty on the Borivli side. The stretch has a very slick, slippery path and has no street lights.

Gorai locals have accused the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) of letting the jetty fall into disrepair. It also accused MMB of not illuminating the side. Not just themselves, several Gorai commuters also bring along their two-wheelers in ferries.

A report in this paper cited how commuters returning from work in Mumbai struggle as there is little light. The place is dirty and an overall facelift is the need of the hour.

Even if a facelift is impossible currently, we read a number of agencies responsible shifting the blame on each other for a dimly lit Borivli side, with its slippery path.

We have started off with very wet days and the monsoon is going to be stronger than ever in the few days to come, going by weather bureau predictions. This, of course, compounds any situation, whether boats are operational or not. We need a better side in the rain, one that is less slippery and a well-lit patch so that commuters find it easier to negotiate without the fear of injuries.

Like we see elsewhere this is some sort of disaster waiting to happen. It will if remedial measures are not taken and whoever is in charge stops pointing fingers at the other.

This is all so frustratingly familiar that one need not go into the cat ‘n' mouse game that goes on when it comes to infrastructure work across the city. Inevitably, it is citizens that are caught up in this web of zero accountability and pay the price. Let us find a permanent solution for the cleaning and upkeep of this jetty, which is crucial to the livelihood of thousands of people, before a disaster, not post it.