Mumbai : After the tragic incident at Elphinstone, residents, commuters and police claim that the Parel side of the same foot-over bridge (FOB) is likely to be the next tragic spot. Lakhs of people commute everyday using the Parel side FOB and if a similar incident occurs then the death toll will be much more as there is no exit route, as per locals and police officials.
Commuters revealed that this FOB is always crowded as it is the only bridge connecting western and central side. In addition, the area houses the famous flower market, Hindmata, central Dadar while the commercial hub and huge towers on the western side.
The opening of the FOB is quite narrow to manage the large crowd and is partitioned which cramps up the space. Dinesh Pawar, a resident, said, “What happened at Elphinstone can happen at Parel on any usual day at any hour. And the death toll will be more because there is no exit route towards the road. The bridge is narrow and people literally push and pounce on each other in a hurry during peak hours.”
Police officials posted on duty at this bridge after yesterday’s incident also highlighted the lack of space. A railway police (RPF) official said, “We always pray that we are not posted at Parel railway station. It is a mess as there is no place to even keep your foot on this bridge. Even if we want to help in an emergency situation we cannot just control the crowd.”
Both residents and police officials are sure that a similar situation can occur at the Parel bridge side. Another police official added, “Now that we are on duty we see how people struggle to get down. A new spacious bridge is the need of the hour or else a similar situation will definitely occur again and we will not be able to control the crowd.”
The residents have filed several complaints but the Western Railway (WR) has given them a reply stating that they do not have sufficient funds for constructing a bridge. Pawar said, “We have been told in the past that there is no budget provision. We wonder where are the funds? There are enough funds to rename the railway station but not to construct a bridge.”
