16 rail overbridges must be rebuilt, CR tells civic chief

MUMBAI: In a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ajoy Mehta, Central Railway (CR) general manager DK Sharma said there are about 16 rail overbridges (ROB) that need to be rebuilt as they are beyond repair. However, the BMC said it was the Railways’ job to build them.

The need to rebuild them was as per an audit conducted by the IIT -B and CR engineers of all ROBS and FOBS (foot overbridges). Of the 16, nine ROBS have to be rebuilt immediately in phase 1 and the remaining in phase 2.

The ROBS are Hancock bridge, Carnac bridge, Byculla ROB, Olivant ROB, Arthur ROB, Garden ROB, Carrol ROB, Sion ROB, Nahur ROB, which needs to be rebuilt in Phase 1 and Reay Road ROB, Chunabhatti ROB, Chembur ROB, Govandi ROB, Currey Road ROB, Kopri ROB and Ghatkopar ROB, in Phase 2. Eight of these bridges are more than 100 years old. Work on Hancock and Carnac ROBS are under progress.

In its reply to the CR, the BMC said the work on the remaining ROBS are pending owing to delay

from the Railways. A senior official from the BMC bridges department said, “In most cases, the delay has been from the Railways side, despite the fact that the civic body has paid two percent of the estimated amount. We often have to wait for months for the General Administrative Design (GAD) to be approved by the CR. Despite the railway minister’s clear directives, the CR is now trying to put the work on the civic body.”

In a meeting between the Railway minister and the CM on August 23, it was decided the Railways will build the portion above the tracks and the BMC will construct approach roads. The new bridges would be at least a metre higher than the current ones as the Railways wants to increase the height of the trains and so we

need the GAD’S approval first and then only can we plan approach roads, said the official.

The official said three ROBS planned outside Mahalaxmi station are also pending owing to the spat between the Railways and the BMC. “Recently, the Railways wrote back saying the BMC needs to construct the entire bridge under the supervision of a Railways engineer,” said the official. The officer also added that the Western Railways is yet to send its list. Sanjay Darade, chief engineer (bridges department), said, “It is difficult for the BMC to work above the railway portion because there are technical concerns. Therefore, the Railways constructs its part and the BMC builds approach roads with two different contractors.”