Mumbai: Angry locals bring their kids to Delisle Bridge site to protest delay

Schoolchildren join the protest at the Delisle Road bridge site on Wednesday

Local residents from Lower Parel and Curry Road upset by the non-completion of the Delisle Bridge construction are voicing their discontent with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the prolonged delay in completing the second arm of the bridge. They took a proactive approach by bringing their children to the construction site, holding placards that questioned the authorities about when the bridge would finally be ready.

Gaurav Sankapal, a member of the Lower Parel Bridge Kurti Committee, stated that the bridge has been closed for the past five years. Despite many promises, the work has not been completed. He mentioned, "Now the BMC says that a single lane will be opened toward N M Joshi's side arm on September 18. However, our demand is that the BMC should open the full bridge on September 18."

"We have submitted a letter to Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde and Civic Chief I S Chahal, urging them to open the complete bridge on September 18. If the authorities do not open the entire bridge, we will organise a huge agitation," Gaurav added.

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According to a BMC official, the single lane of the second arm of the bridge, toward N M Joshi Marg, will open on September 18, before Ganesh Chaturthi. The full bridge will be completed by the end of October 2023. The first arm of the bridge opened on June 1. Initially, the BMC had planned to open the second arm of the bridge by the end of August. "Due to heavy rain and a shortage of gravel, the work was halted. Because of this, we had to extend the timeline for the bridge opening," said the official.