‘Such a shoddy job of fixing tiles on Marine Lines FOB’

The patch that was repaired on the bridge. Pic/Shadab Khan

A day after a mid-day report about loose tiles on the foot overbridges (FOBs) outside Marine Lines station the BMC has repaired and fixed the tiles at the locations reported. This was the second time that the tiles had popped out after the bridges were reconstructed and opened to the public last year.

The two FOBs at Marine Lines, one at the north end and the other connecting Chandanwadi crematorium, were among eight bridges that were declared dangerous soon after the Himalaya bridge collapsed in March 2019, claiming seven lives. The bridges were closed since then and reopened in June 2022, after reconstruction. However, within two months of reopening, tiles in the middle of the bridge at Marine Lines popped out in August 2022. After mid-day highlighted the issue, the BMC repaired loose tiles on the upper slab and also the stairs. But after a heavy spell of rain this year, the tiles at the same spots got loose again.

The BMC swung into action immediately after mid-day's report on Sunday about the shoddy work done on the bridge. "Why does the BMC wait for someone to point out their mistakes? Don't they have their system in place to visit the roads and bridges periodically, especially during the monsoon?" questioned Sanjeev Kale, a regular commuter. According to Kale, the BMC has fixed the tiles again, but looking at the shoddy work done, the tiles may pop out again soon. Meanwhile, BMC officials said the site will be under observation as this is the second time the tiles have broken. Last year, after the mid-day report, the civic body's vigilance department initiated an inquiry into the work done but it did not reveal the outcome.

In June 2019, the BMC awarded the contract to reconstruct the two FOBs to SVJ Inovabuild Pvt Ltd at a cost of Rs 4.35 crore, which was 33 per cent more than the estimated cost of Rs 3.27 crore. While the structures were to be ready in 18 months, excluding the monsoon period, the contractor finished it on May 31, 2022. Thousands of commuters use the FOBs to cross the busy road outside Marine Lines station. The crematorium lane connects with commercial areas like Dawa Bazar, Bhuleshwar and Kalbadevi.

May 31, 2022
Day the FOB was ready for use