Submit reports that say Carnac Bridge is dilapidated: Bombay HC

MUMBAI: Days after the traffic police gave an NOC to demolish the 150-year-old Carnac Bridge in south Mumbai, the Bombay high court on Tuesday asked the CR and BMC to submit reports to show that the structure is dilapidated and needs to be pulled down. The bridge, which runs over tracks, is a crucial link between Crawford Market and P D’Mello Road.


The HC was hearing a PIL challenging CR’s decision to demolish the bridge as “it is in a dilapidated condition”. “If, after perusing the reports, we find the bridge is indeed dilapidated, we will not stay the demolition. We cannot put people’s lives at risk just because the demolition will cause inconvenience. Citizens can bear inconvenience for some time,” said a bench headed by Justice Naresh Patil.

CR’s advocate said an expert’s report had said the bridge is weak and poses a risk. But the petitioner’s advocate said there is no such report and that demolition will inconvenience citizens. The judges have directed CR’s divisional railway manager to submit a report. They also asked BMC’s engineering department to inspect the bridge and submit a report on April 20, the next hearing date.

About a fortnight ago, the traffic police gave an NOC, subject to conditions, after CR communicated to them that the bridge was “structurally weak”. The foremost condition is that alternative arrangement be made for pedestrians to cross the tracks. As traffic movement too will be hit significantly, the police have demanded that encroachments along the detour be removed before demolition.

“CR has said that the bridge is structurally very weak and a major accident could occur. We have said that encroachments along the detour—Crawford Market to CSMT to GPO and then P D’Mello Road—need to be removed and CR will have to ensure that pedestrians do not start crossing the tracks in absence of the bridge,” a traffic police official said.

The other conditions include deputing traffic wardens and putting up signages along the detour. After the railways dismantles the Carnac Bridge, a BMC-appointed contractor will reconstruct it. The BMC has already awarded the Rs 53 crore contract last year to AB Infra. The contractor will get 19 months to finish the work.

Civic officials said they are in talks with CR to decide on what alternative can be provided to pedestrians. “We may demolish the bridge partially and allow pedestrians to use the remaining portion. Nothing has been finalised,” said an official. Since 2013, when Carnac Bridge began to show signs of ageing, heavy vehicles have been barred from plying on it.

“We have also asked CR to speed up reconstruction of the nearby Hancock Bridge, which was razed in 2016,” said the traffic official. Hancock Bridge near Sandhurst Road station, another century-old bridge, was pulled down after it was declared weak. After the razing, several accidents were reported as pedestrians were not provided with an alternative.

“We want to start Hancock bridge reconstruction soon. We have completed a survey of the station area and soil testing. The bridge design too is about to be finalized,” said SO Kori, chief civic engineer (bridges).

“The demolition of Hancock Bridge resulted in vehicles being diverted to JJ Marg and Wadi Bunder. At present, motorists have to take a detour of several kilometres to cross what was earlier a short distance. Several accidents have also been reported on the tracks as people have not been provided with an alternative. If Carnac Bridge too is razed, traffic will have to be diverted again and there will be chaos,” said activist Kamlakar Shenoy, who has challenged the razing of the two bridges in the HC.