Say residents of Santacruz to candidates, pointing to incomplete skywalk work, road repair and sewage cleaning
Local ALMs and members of residential societies are now voicing concerns over incomplete civic projects that have plagued Santacruz. Resident associations from Vakola and Kalina recently had an open-meeting with the candidates from their area, seeking possible solutions to civic problems.
Shashikant Nadkulkar, senior resident, Galaxy CHS, said, “Mainly, there are four incomplete projects in the area that are terribly bothering us. The prime being the incomplete skywalk, which is forcing us to cross the Western Express highway, followed by the bad conditions of all the arterial roads and footpaths, the untreated sewage lines which always flood and, lastly, the illegal hawkers that have encroached the area.”
According to resident associations, year after year candidates who have contested elections have promised to resolve these problems, but the situation remains the same. “This year, we are handing out a draft highlighting all the incomplete projects of the area and are taking their signature with the statement which states that once they win they shall complete these pending projects,” added Rajeev Maru, committee member, Datta Mandir Road ALM.
Pathetic state of skywalk
During the open-meeting, residents from Prabhat Colony pointed out to the terrible condition of the skywalk. Encroachment by hawkers, dirty and pan-spitted corridors, broken steps, uprooted tiled floorings, incomplete connection between the station and the WE highway, all these are bothering residents no end.
“Every night, hawkers from the station bridge and below pile their goods on the skywalk. They also use the outward frames of the structure and tie their wheeler-carts with a chain to prevent BMC’s raid,” added Maru.
River runs wide
The desilting process of the Mithi River that runs below the Vakola bridge is still incomplete, claimed local ALMs. With the construction of the boundary wall still under progress along the Kalina Air India colony stretch, flooding is eminent, expressed senior members of the ALM. “During the historic flooding of the city, several people from Kalina’s Air India colony had lost their lives. That time, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had stated that desilting of the river along with boundary wall will be developed to prevent further disasters, but till now the project is incomplete,” lamented Farooq Kamran Khan, resident, Sunder Nagar, Kalina.
Showing recent photographic evidence to the candidates about the pass-over bridge over the Mithi River along the Kurla-Kalina stretch, Khan expressed doubts over the completion of the project even in 2012.