After 7-yr delay, Andheri subway widening project deferred again after Pulwama attack

NOW, WORK TO BEGIN AFTER FEBRUARY 18

The work on widening the Andheri East Parsi Panchayat Subway will begin only after February 18, as the project has been deferred as a mark of respect for the 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers killed on February 14.

The project was scheduled to begin from February 15, after a delay of seven years. The seven-year delay was for various reasons, including the ongoing Metro 7 work (Dahisar east–Andheri east) and for want of permission from the traffic department.

Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena legislator from Jogeshwari said, as the nation is mourning the martyrs of the Pulwama terror attack, the subway widening work was not begun, out of respect for public sentiment.

Sources said the Sena had planned a bhoomipujan (groundbreaking) ceremony, but now the civil work has been stopped, as they cannot conduct any function for a few days. Interestingly, Uddhav Thackeray, the Sena president, had already performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the project two years ago.

According to Waikar, the earlier plan had lapsed and everything related to the project had to be begun once again. "A new tender was called and the contract has been awarded to a new company. From project cost onward, everything is new and therefore, a small pooja will be carried out before starting the project," explained Waikar.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had awarded the Rs13.30 crore project to NA Construction Company in December. It is expected to be completed in the next 18 months.

The underpass is crucial as it is regularly used by vehicles coming from the Andheri Pump House, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone, Sher-E-Punjab, Poonam Nagar, Mahakali Caves and others, to reach the Western Express Highway. As these are residential, commercial and slum areas, there is massive traffic congestion on this road, especially during peak hours.