WR starts demolishing western arm of Delisle bridge in Mumbai

Western Railway (WR), on Saturday, began demolition of parts of the western arm of the British-era Delisle bridge, which was declared unsafe in an audit led by the Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay (IIT-B). The demolition work started after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), acting on a high court (HC) order, razed 172 structures, including 91 shops, lining the western arm of the bridge in Lower Parel.

“We have started demolition of the bridge after BMC handed over the bridge to the Railways,” said Ravinder Bhakar, chief spokesperson, WR. WR first barricaded the western arm of the bridge with tin sheets and then began the demolition with JCB and Pocklen machines.

In the wake of the Gokhale bridge collapse in Andheri in July 2018, IIT-Bombay had declared the Delisle bridge unfit for use. Following this, in February, WR had demolished a portion of the bridge that ran over the tracks.

Railway officials said they have already appointed a contractor to rebuild the bridge, which was a crucial connector, linking the business hub in Lower Parel and Elphinstone Road. “The demolition of the west arm of the bridge should have been completed by February-end. Because of the three-month delay, the deadline to rebuild the bridge will be pushed further,” said a WR official.

The demolition work was delayed owing to a deadlock between the BMC and the shopkeepers. Devendra Kumar Jain, assistant municipal commissioner of G south ward said, “To demolish and construct a new bridge, it was important to clear some surrounding structures. We have rehabilitated 172 structures despite strong opposition from the shopkeepers.”

“The high court asked the BMC to shift us to the market behind Triveni building on the west side of the station within 45 days,” said Tukaram Patil, who represented the shopkeepers, adding that he hopes the civic body keeps its word or they would lose their livelihood.

First Published: May 12, 2019 01:17 IST