Just three years after installation, footpath railings at Bandstand removed
Local residents get angry, call it a waste of money.
2 min read
According to former Congress corporator Asif Zakaria, the railings along the stretch had been installed in May 2021, after the civic body executed development work on the side-strip. (Representational Image)In what has drawn flak from local residents, footpath railings along Bandstand’s B J Road — installed a mere three years ago — have recently been removed to make way for the installation of brand new railings. Amid locals calling it a “waste of expenditure”, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked the traffic department to furnish details about the contractor and the instructions issued for removal of the railings.
According to former Congress corporator Asif Zakaria, the railings along the stretch had been installed in May 2021, after the civic body executed development work on the side-strip.
However, earlier this month, the structures were dismantled by the contractor, much to the grouse of the locals who maintained that the railings were barely damaged.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Zakaria said the installation of the railings at Bandstand — alongside Carter Road — had come even after locals opposed it. “We had opposed the railings even during the installation, as many people are unable to access the footpath because of them. However, the BMC justified it by saying they were needed since the area clocks high footfall etc. The installation was carried out by the roads department in May 2021. And now, only three years after, they have been removed,” he said.
“The railings were in perfectly good condition. What was the need to install new FRP railings when the old railings were barely damaged and only three-years old? This is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” Zakaria added.
Meanwhile, senior BMC officials maintained that the work was executed by the traffic department. After visuals of the dismantled railings sparked outrage among locals, the ward office on Thursday appealed to the traffic department to provide details about the contract. “We have requested the traffic department to provide details about the contractor concerned, when the railings were installed and whether instructions were issued for their removal. We are yet to receive details from their end. Following our inspection of the details, we will take further action on the matter,” a BMC official said.
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