Two Persons Were Killed After A Bridge Collapsed Onto The Tracks Near Andheri Railway Station
Here in lies another disturbing aspect of India’s urban planning. Is it truly based on what is needed by the citizens and commuters, or is it motivated by political expediency and the greed of contractors?
The building of infrastructure with hardly any regard to commuter use—many of Mumbai’s sky walks and the monorail are prime examples—is a common phenomenon, and the media has time and again exposed how “blacklisted” contractors are hired for these projects.
Railway Safety In India
- Is it not shameful that the vast engineering and architectural talent in the country often plays to the tune of politicians who have an eye on objectives other than the interests of citizens? Their engineering and architectural skills ought to be of service to the people and not for populist measures that help vested interests.
- Urban policies seem to encourage the lowest bidders rather than those with excellent professional credentials who can deliver the best services. This trend seems to be holding through in connection with most public infrastructure projects.
- Urban planning activists have time and again warned of the perils of policies that are automobile-centric, anti-public transport and geared towards the interests of private contractors. In fact, since the country’s rapid urbanisation has been chaotic, the urban infrastructure too tends to be random and piecemeal rather than mediated by context and public needs. Needless to say, corruption and lack of accountability both thrive in such a scenario.
The focus in Mumbai on metro systems and the coastal road project despite objections from urban transport and environmental experts is a familiar story with variations across the country.
On 3 July 2018, two persons were killed after a bridge collapsed onto the tracks near Andheri railway station in Mumbai. Immediately, a blame game followed and it transpired that while the railways had inspected the bridge between 2014 and 2017, there was no proper documentation to show for it.
Bridge Collapse Near Andheri Station
- Before that, in 2017, a stampede on the Elphinstone railway bridge had claimed 23 lives and injured many others. The horrific stampede showed the complete failure of the authorities in harmonising land use with the massive and growing commuting population in this area.
- There are two other important facets to the recent bridge collapse. One is the post facto attempt made by the Shiv Sena to hold the growing population as the reason for the accident, which is a cynical attempt to shift responsibility.
- Mumbai, down the centuries, has attracted migrants and will continue to do so, given its employment potential. The city’s latest development plan itself speaks of creating eight million new jobs. Surely, urban planning should take into account the increase in commuter population that this will lead to? The other fact is the lack of any public outcry or protest campaigns over the third such tragedy in the past two years.
Recent Bridge Collapses In India
- It is as if citizens have simply accepted that these accidents and the connected deaths and injuries are the collateral damage of “development.” Governments have begun to simply ignore protests by citizen groups and carry on with controversial infrastructure projects.
- It is high time that infrastructure building be seen as a public service rather than as a distribution of largesse to contractors and other allied professionals. For this, it is imperative that citizens ask questions and demand answers persistently