We need to start holding contractors accountable

The now demolished Bandra East skywalk. File Pic/Nimesh Dave

Four years after it was shut down, the BMC has proposed a pricey plan to reconstruct the Bandra skywalk on the east side of the railway station. Last year, the contract was awarded at Rs 19 crore.

However, as per the latest tender, the estimated cost has escalated almost four times to Rs 83 crore, excluding an 18 per cent GST. A BMC official attributed the cost increase to the larger dimensions of the skywalk, including its length, width, and the addition of three escalators.

The skywalk, the city's first structure of its kind, was originally built in 2008 by the MMRDA. However, it was closed in 2019 following a structural audit report.

Some activists are claiming that these are inflated figures and the skywalk needed repairs instead of being demolished and replaced.

The cost of three escalators, roofing, and the use of steel columns instead of concrete for faster construction, is included in the contract, said a top BMC official explaining the high cost.

While the debate may go on, what is important is that there are lessons learnt from the earlier defunct skywalk. This one should be of the highest quality to avoid money and time wastage. It must be well thought out and serve the purpose for what it was built. One cannot have projects started and then brought down because they are sub-standard. This space has repeatedly pointed out that quality and setting the bar high from the word go, means well begun is half done and won.

Four years on, we are seeing changes in our commute modes with the upcoming Metro and Coastal Road, so the new project needs to factor in everything before moving from planning stage to a work in action. There must be penalties and accountability for projects that go to seed because of shoddy work. Taxpayers pay that price but somebody needs to be held responsible, too.