Tiles on recently repaired foot overbridge have broken loose, posing a threat to all, say commuters
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 can’t help but feel that they’re tempting fate every time they walk on the foot overbridge or crossing under it. Most of the tiles on the newly built FOB adjacent to the station have broken loose and threaten to trip up pedestrians. Broken shards of tiles lie dangerously close to the edge of the bridge, threatening to fall on unsuspecting passers-by below.
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BMC officials now say 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. 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. But soon after, tiles started breaking on both FOBs. After constant follow-up by mid-day, the BMC replaced the tiles on the bridge at Marine Lines, but neglected to do the same at Charni Road.
Sanjeev Kale, who regularly uses the bridge during his commute, said, “Some of the broken tiles were removed and cement patches were laid there last year. But now, almost every tile has developed cracks.” He added, “Why do we need to raise the same concerns repeatedly? Is BMC waiting for a disaster to happen?” Former local corporator Rita Makwana said, “I got several complaints about the broken tiles and got these repaired last year. But they have broken loose again. It is due to poor work by the contractor and the civic administration’s negligence.”
A BMC engineer countered, “The tiles were meant for indoor use. We had used them on a few FOBs earlier and the results were good, but those bridges all have roofs. As the bridges at Charni Road and Marine Lines lack roofs, the tiles get damaged by heavy rainfall. We have decided not to use such tiles on FOBs here on.”
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