Kopar Khairane subway still unusable

NMMC claims to have renovated the subway but it continues to be littered with garbage, say residents

Even as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) claims to have renovated the subway adjacent to Kopar Khairane railway station, the residents of the node do not use it.

According to residents, even after the ‘renovation’ the subway is littered with garbage. Some children also defecate in there. Besides, there is no proper lighting in the subway.

Waterlogging during the monsoon is another reason why residents prefer not to use it. Some residents of the node had raised this issue with civic chief Tukaram Mundhe during one ‘walk with the commissioner’ session last month. Mundhe said he would do the needful following which some measures were taken.

But the subway still remains unusable.

“This underpass connects Kopar Khairane with the ThaneBelapur Road across the railway tracks of the trans-harbour line. Since it has not been used ever since it was built, the residents mainly use the subways on the The subway connects Kopar Khairane with the Thane-Belapur Road across the railway tracks of the trans-harbour line.

station premises or the adjacent bypass, which is used by motorists,” said Mrinal Surve, 47, a resident of sector 19.

“They are often interrogated by ticket checkers while using the subways of railway station. Using the bypass is also not safe for pedestrians because of the speeding vehicles,” said Surve.

“Such infrastructure is developed by spending the taxpayers’

money for the convenience of the residents. Despite having such a beautifully constructed subway, if we cannot use it, why should the authorities bother to develop underpasses and foot overbridges?” he said.

Bhupal Mane, 31, another resident, said, “Railway subways are only for train commuters. As this subway is not commuterfriendly, we are forced to enter railway premises and flout the rules. It’s sad that they are not bothered about us risking our lives when we use the dangerous bypass.”

Ashok Madhvi, NMMC ward officer for Kopar Khairane, said, “We recently removed all the garbage from the subway and also cleaned the nearby areas. We have kept one power pump to remove the water accumulated there. Thus, we have left no stone unturned to ensure safety of the people using it.”

Sources, however, said that the blame game between the NMMC and Cidco is also one of the reasons why the subway has been abandoned for so many years. The NMMC reportedly turns a blind eye to this underpass, as it was developed by Cidco.

Local corporator Shankar More said, “The underpass was constructed by Cidco and so, they should also be responsible for its maintenance.”

Mohan Ninawe, senior public relations officer of Cidco, said, “We will check with our railway department why the subway has been left unattended. They will take the requisite measures, including installing lights in the subway.”

PHOTOS: BACHCHAN KUMAR