Mumbai: Shamed a second time, BMC starts work on Kurla subway again

mid-day Impact

BMC has started fixing the roof where heavy leakage had led to portions falling down

Is mid-day responsible for keeping the Kurla subway standing? The past sure seems to suggest that - for the second time, the civic body has got cracking on fixing the problems there after mid-day reported about them. After this paper's report on January 12 about how the newly-inaugurated underpass had begun crumbling, civic officials have started fixing the roof where heavy leakage had led to plaster and concrete to fall on pedestrians' heads.

Wake-up call, once more
The report had highlighted how the false ceiling had collapsed at multiple locations and continuous seepage of water was eating into the plaster and cement, making the subway, inaugurated in October 2017, risky for citizens.

Also read - Mumbai: Kurla subway cleared of garbage, gutkha stains following mid-day report

Making a note of that, an inspection team of divisional railway officials and the BMC visited the subway and took stock of the situation. Sources said the joints were prone to leakage and the false ceiling had been provided by the contractor to hide the same, adding that BMC needed to take up its regular maintenance and upkeep. Civic workers are now replacing the slabs on the joints and realigning them at a number of places where the roof had fallen off.

Down the drain
The Kurla subway has been among BMC's most ambitious projects - one of city's longest subways under Kurla station's 10 parallel tracks and built at a cost of Rs 9 crore, work on it had begun in 2002. A month after it was opened, mid-day had reported (November 15) how citizens had defaced it by littering, and spitting on the walls and even ceilings. Also, the water had been spreading at the entry-exit points on both sides due to seepage.

There was cosmetic action after that, but the subway remained poorly maintained and without a security guard. After this came the January 12 report. "The BMC needs to take responsibility of the subway and its regular maintenance. There is no point in blaming any other agency after problems develop. The civic body should conduct an audit of the subway's quality," said Jitendra Gupta, a social activist from Kurla.

Rs 9 cr
Cost at which it was built

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