Authorities have a chance to avert disaster in Worli

Cracks (circled) in the watchtower in Worli Koliwada; (centre) the boundary wall that broke late on Monday night; the partially broken part of the wall

One can only hope that assurances about all precautions being taken at Worli village are adequate. This is with reference to a report in this paper about a recent wall collapse at the start of Worli Koliwada, a residential alcove, at one end of Worli Seaface.

Fortunately, and given the number of tragedies thanks to similar incidents, nobody was hurt when a portion of a stretch of the wall collapsed late one night. Some bikes, belonging to locals, were damaged.

Now, locals have raised alarm about a Navy watchtower on one end of this half-broken wall. The tower they say has developed cracks and seems particularly precarious during this season. The defence and civic authorities have been reassuring in their responses, with the former actually stating that repairs are on, and in the process, the tower is also being strengthened.

One hopes that all those statements are made in good faith and the wall collapse is a catalyst to get work done on priority. When the locals express trepidation, many of them do so with strong reason and those concerned must take heed.

Here, a bigger disaster has been averted but there is no room for any complacency or a laid back attitude. We must see to it that the wall is rebuilt and the watchtower at one end, is looked at carefully and worked on immediately. Even a meet with some local representatives may help, as there are people living in this space for more than half a century. They are familiar with the problems and have intricate knowledge of the area.

A sweeping attitude of dismissing people's concerns or warnings in several areas, not just here, have led to huge tragedies in the city. Though not all complaints may have merit, let leaders at the very least check and examine if fears are legitimate, and act accordingly.

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