Mumbai: Post Rs 700-cr debacle, MMRDA comes up with another skywalk

It seems that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to keep aside the fact that it wasted most of the Rs 700-crore that it spent on the skywalk project for now, for after promising that it would not take it up, the authority has decided to construct a skywalk from Thane to Vitava (Kalwa) for over Rs 20-crore. MMRDA says it has decided this after a special request from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' office.

In the month of March MMRDA had said that it would not take up skywalk projects, and would focus on major infrastructure projects like metros, flyovers and roads. However in less than six months the authority has taken a U turn.

mid-day had also done a story (Stung by losses, MMRDA walks out of skywalk project, March 26) in which it was stated that MMRDA had said that it will focus only on mega infra projects.

Skywalks empty
In the month of March 2016, Metropolitan Commissioner UPS Madan had stated that, "We have taken a decision that henceforth we are not going to take up construction of skywalks."

MMRDA, which was finding it difficult to maintain the skywalks, had even written to BMC in the year 2012 to take them over from it.

On CMO's instructions
A senior MMRDA official said, "It is true that we have taken a decision not to construct skywalks, but we are constructing this skywalk, as it will help in reducing the number of deaths that were taking place while crossing the railway tracks. We have received a special request from the CM's office and so we are constructing a 550 m skywalk between Chandani Naka in Thane East and Vitava (Kalwa)."

Metropolitan Commissioner UPS Madan was unavailable for comment.