One arm of the Gokhale Bridge in Andheri was opened to traffic on February 27, six years after a part of the bridge collapsed in 2018, causing two deaths. mid-day reached out to the family of one of the victims, Asmita Katkar, who was killed in the mishap. The family—living in a narrow lane of a slum known as Dalavi Chawl in Andheri West—is still waiting for a job assurance from railway authorities. 

“For the authorities, it is seen as only one death. But, we lost the support pillar of our family. My son lost his mother at age six. His grandmother cares for him like her own child. But a mother is a mother. Our family is devastated by her passing,” Asmita’s husband Lahu said, breaking his silence years after the incident.
On July 3, 2018, part of the Gokhale bridge collapsed. Asmita Katkar, 36, died four days later during treatment. “We received a competition of R5 lakh from railway authorities. They also promised me a job in the railways. However, officials told me later that they hadn`t received an order in this regard from their superiors,” Lahu said.