Maharashtra: Thane ST depot crumbles under neglect, poses risk to commuters

Built to serve as a vital transport hub for the region the Thane ST State Transport Bus Depot now stands as a symbol of shocking negligence The depot used daily by thousands of commuters continues to function in a dangerous condition riddled with potholes muck and crumbling infrastructure With no signs of serious repair or reconstruction the area seems more like a hazard zone than a public transport facilityAs one steps inside the depot premises there is an endless stretch of massive potholes filled with sludge and garbage Walking through the depot has become a risk to life and limb and navigating buses through the area is nothing short of a nightmare for driversThe condition of the buildings that house the MSRTC staff is even worse Inside offices where important administrative work is carried out daily ceilings are on the verge of collapse with concrete slabs already giving way and steel rods exposed Staff report working under constant fear unsure whether theyrsquoll make it home safe each dayA passenger waiting area inside depotDespite being located in a prime urban area mdash and ironically in the same city as both the deputy chief minister and transport minister mdash the depot has seen no progress in terms of renovation or reconstructionSources say locals and regular commuters have raised complaints several times but so far itrsquos all fallen on deaf ears No tenders no announcements no visible action Just daily life under the looming threat of tragedy ldquoThe depot looks like itrsquos been bombedrdquo said a daily commuter ldquoWe donrsquot need WiFi or AC buseshellip we just want the roof to not fall on our headsrdquoStaff working inside the depot echoed the sentiment ldquoEvery day we walk into this building and we wonder if wersquoll walk out The roof is cracked the plaster falls off and no one seems to carerdquo said a depot employee requesting anonymity This ongoing neglect raises serious questions about priorities Will it take a disaster for the authorities to wake up Locals say the depot is a ldquoticking time bombrdquoA badly maintained staff office with chunks of ceiling plaster missing PICSSHRIKANT KHUPERKARIn response to the mounting concerns Vijay Redekar divisional manager of MSRTC said ldquoWe have already submitted a proposal to the Thane Municipal Corporation and the necessary No Objection Certificate NOC has been granted from our side The delay in progress is largely due to the ongoing underground Metro project work in the area However we are committed to addressing the situation In the interim we plan to demolish the portions of the depot that are no longer in use and retain only the ground floor Repair work is scheduled to begin within the next 15 days We continue to receive daily complaints from passengers and are acutely aware of the urgency of the situation Immediate action has been taken and we are prioritising these repairs to ensure safety and convenience for both commuters and staffrdquoNandkumar Deshmukh president of the Thane Railway Passengers Association expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating condition of the ST depot in Thane ldquoI have been trying to contact our state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik but neither he nor his personal assistant has responded to my calls After all he is the transport minister and resides in Thane What hope does the common man have if even basic communication is ignoredrdquoDeshmukh emphasised the urgency of the situation explaining that the bus depot is very old and unsafe ldquoImmediate action is needed to build a new bus stand Those who travel daily are in constant fear of the depot collapsing while standing in the queue especially during the busy morning and evening peak hours The current condition is unacceptable and dangerousrdquo This correspondent also attempted to connect with Sarnaik but despite repeated calls there was no response