Mumbai: BMC offers quick fix for Bandra station

BMC workers filling up potholes on the road outside the station at Bandra East on Friday. Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

Thousands of commuters will have a smooth exit from Bandra station, with BMC filling potholes on the road outside the new eastside staircase. mid-day reported on Friday about how commuters struggled to exit the station after the old bridge was shut.

Bandra is a crucial station on WR and the eastside connects commuters to the family court, collector's office, MHADA, ONGC and the BKC business district. WR had closed the old staircase on September 18, saying it will repair and reopen it on November 16. The alternative staircase provided landed on a broken stretch of road meant for autorickshaws. The stretch - around 50 metres wide and 100 metres long - is full of muck, litter, uneven patches. Poor lighting also hampered commuters during the night.

Civic workers were quick to arrive outside the station at Bandra East on Friday morning and begin work on filling the potholes. Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

While on Thursday, the BMC and Western Railway blamed each other for the mess, on Friday, the civic body owned up to the poor state of the road. "We do not want to get into an argument over land issues," said Ashok Khairnar, assistant commissioner, H-East ward. "Common people were suffering, and so we have done road work. Now the patch is in good condition."

An officer from the H-East added: "We drained the water from the potholes and used hot-mix solution to fill them. This is a temporary solution since the monsoon is still active. We will solve the issue permanently after the rains in consultation with the railway authorities."

Also Read: Mumbai: Navigating Bandra East just got a whole lot tougher

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