mid-day impact: Railways, BMC evict squatters from Elphinstone, Parel stations

mid-day impact >> Following this paper's report about encroachments in aftermath of the stampede, civic and railway authorities demolished shanties on narrow road

The railways and BMC have finally decided to make peace with each other over whose responsibility it was to remove the encroachments near the foot overbridge (FOB) of Elphinstone Road and Parel stations. A week after mid-day highlighted that nothing had changed since the stampede took place, teams of the Central Railway, civic body, Railway Protection Force and Mumbai Police demolished the hutments lining the approach road to the FOB.

Speaking to mid-day, Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer, Central Railway, said, "It was a special drive conducted by the Mumbai division. About 33 hutments were removed from the Parel side. The space will now be protected so that the structures don't come up again."

The area outside the Elphinstone Road-Parel station would be protected so that the hutments don't come up again

Sources said that though the FOB on the western side of the Elphinstone Road-Parel station, where the stampede had taken place, has been opened up after removing the panels on the side; the authorities concerned are planning to widen the staircase.

The encroachments that had come up in the area had narrowed down the approach road to the station and was also making it difficult for commuters to move about freely. Sources said that once all the encroachments, including an illegal temple, are removed, there would be a lot of space for free movement.

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