Wadala residents and activists want two old bldgs along route razed
Transport activists and residents of Wadala have raised the red flag against a section of the second phase Monorail corridor, that they say passes “too close to two ghost buildings” that ought to be demolished.
Once complete, the upcoming corridor will almost touch the two dilapidated buildings, that have been declared dangerous by BMC and MbPT. Residents of the area said that buildings No 38 A and 38 B of the MbPT Quarters have been evacuated, and the tenants given alternative accommodation.
The residents and activists want the buildings to be immediately razed, as they fear that once the Monorail begins operations the vibrations will weaken the buildings and cause them to collapse. In this regard, activists have written to project coordinator MMRDA, whose Commissioner U P S Madan promised to have the issue examined and take corrective measures.
“Once the Monorail starts plying, the vibrations may further weaken the foundation and lead to the fall of these buildings which have already been declared dilapidated.”
The Mumbai Transport Forum also expressed concern about close proximity of the buildings to the Monorail corridor. “The authorities should first look into the structural stability these buildings. As they are dilapidated, it would be best to raze them. The vibrations of heavy machinery being used to construct the corridor is weakening the buildings, and when the Monorail starts, it will be worse,” said Jitendra Gupta of the Mumbai Transport Forum.
“In no case should any public transport project get stuck because of any such hurdle,” he added. Residents are also upset because pillars of a stretch of the Monorail bridge, that passes over the Harbour Line, occupy a significant part of the footpath. “The arm of the mono corridor protrudes over the footpath, forcing one to walk on the street. There are a number of school children who use this footpath, and narrowing it down poses a risk for the kids,” Ashwini Patil, a housewife said.
As per the original plan, the second phase of the Monorail project will cover a distance of 10.24 km, from Sion to Jacob Circle, and will be built at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore. It is scheduled to commence operations in March 2015.
Once complete, the upcoming corridor will almost touch the two dilapidated buildings, that have been declared dangerous by BMC and MbPT. Residents of the area said that buildings No 38 A and 38 B of the MbPT Quarters have been evacuated, and the tenants given alternative accommodation.
The residents and activists want the buildings to be immediately razed, as they fear that once the Monorail begins operations the vibrations will weaken the buildings and cause them to collapse. In this regard, activists have written to project coordinator MMRDA, whose Commissioner U P S Madan promised to have the issue examined and take corrective measures.
“The second Monorail corridor being constructed from Pratiksha Nagar to Arthur Road passes through a stretch that can prove to be dangerous. Near Barkat Ali Naka at Wadala, the stretch passes two dilapidated buildings which stand taller than the corridor,” said Anil Galgali, an activist who wrote to MMRDA.
“Once the Monorail starts plying, the vibrations may further weaken the foundation and lead to the fall of these buildings which have already been declared dilapidated.”
The Mumbai Transport Forum also expressed concern about close proximity of the buildings to the Monorail corridor. “The authorities should first look into the structural stability these buildings. As they are dilapidated, it would be best to raze them. The vibrations of heavy machinery being used to construct the corridor is weakening the buildings, and when the Monorail starts, it will be worse,” said Jitendra Gupta of the Mumbai Transport Forum.
“In no case should any public transport project get stuck because of any such hurdle,” he added. Residents are also upset because pillars of a stretch of the Monorail bridge, that passes over the Harbour Line, occupy a significant part of the footpath. “The arm of the mono corridor protrudes over the footpath, forcing one to walk on the street. There are a number of school children who use this footpath, and narrowing it down poses a risk for the kids,” Ashwini Patil, a housewife said.
As per the original plan, the second phase of the Monorail project will cover a distance of 10.24 km, from Sion to Jacob Circle, and will be built at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore. It is scheduled to commence operations in March 2015.
