The twin skywalks connecting Virar East and West, once envisioned as safe pedestrian corridors, have turned into zones of neglect — overrun by squatters, beggars, and drug addicts. Thousands of daily commuters now avoid the bridges altogether, preferring to risk the chaotic roads below rather than face the filth and fear above.

The eastern skywalk, the busier of the two, is strewn with sleeping bodies, makeshift cooking setups, and piles of garbage. The area near the staircases has become an open toilet for the children of the squatters, creating an unbearable stench that mocks the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The walls are splattered with paan stains and spit marks.