Chembur skywalk is useless

Another project worth almost Rs 6 crores is lying unused and blocked for a month because the Railway and MMRDA are clueless whether the barricades should be removed

Chembur skywalk is useless

Another project worth almost Rs 6 crores is lying unused and blocked for a month because the Railway and MMRDA are clueless whether the barricades should be removed

Lack of coordination between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Central Railway (CR) has been inconveniencing commuters at Chembur Railway station since the part that connects the skywalk to the Foot Over Bridge (FOB) has been shut through December.

The Central Railway awaits instructions to remove the barricades from
the skywalk. PIC/ SAMEER MARKANDE

The 230-metre skywalk at Chembur West, adjacent to the station, runs between two FOBs. MMRDA has connected the skywalk to the FOB at the Kurla-end but the entrance to the connecting stairs has been blocked, forcing them to take a much longer detour to enter and exit the station.

Says Shamika Chavan (22) who regularly travels to Chembur West, "After the skywalk was partially thrown open to the public, I was glad that I will not have to get out on the West and walk for 10 to 15 minutes to the Chembur 'phatak' area. Had the FOB and the skywalk been connected, I would just climb the FOB, switch over to the skywalk and directly get down below the Chembur Phatak Bridge."

However, an official involved with the project at Chembur said on condition of anonymity that CR is yet to grant permission to connect the skywalk to the FOB. Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer S Mudgerikar remained unavailable for comment.

Amod Nagpure (23), another regular commuter adds. "I don't mind walking for another 10 minutes, but if the skywalk and FOB are not connected for certain technical reasons, at leastu00a0 repair the road."

The skywalk, being constructed by a joint venture between Prime Engineers and Essbee Enterprises, the
contractors in the project, is estimated to cost Rs 5.91 crores.

The Other Side
MMRDA Chief Engineer S Nandargikar said, "The Railways wants to demolish the FOB and construct a new one and thus, the part that connects the skywalk and the FOB has been closed.