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Journalism of Courage
Encroachments and Kurla go hand-in-hand. A menace common to whole of Mumbai has acquired unbelievable proportions this side of the city. This is directly proportional to the increasing population.
Once home to a few Christian villages, Kurla is now destination for many an unemployed youth from over the country. What attracts them, one may ask. Primarily, growing number of slums, for a hutment is much cheaper than renting a house. No wonder this central suburb is rich in human wealth with major part of the population being rag-pickers, transporters and construction workers. And then there8217;s the assortment of related problems that have now taken roots here, as in other parts of the metro congestion, piles and piles of garbage, choked drains, hawkers, rash autorickshaw drivers and bus drivers.
Another menace that needs to be controlled is that of hawkers. In this case, Kurla pavements have had to bear the brunt. Of late, they have also eaten into the roads, leaving little of already narrow roads. The state is evident the moment you step out of the station this is where one begins to encounter a battery of hawkers on either side of the road. The trucks parked on LBS Marg and beyond further add to the problem. Accidents are common all because either trucks suddenly stop finding empty parking space or take ad hoc turns in the middle of the road.
The traffic problem also gets compounded by autorickshaws and buses which can be seen taking U-turns on the same congested roads, risking the lives of pedestrians inthe absence of footpaths. quot;The authorities should start an award for people who have survived and braved the roads of Kurla for years together,quot; says Narendra Rastogi, a senior citizen of Kurla W, sarcastically referring to the state of traffic here. A Sulabh Sauchalay, located close to the main bus depot, further leads to the congestion. quot;As a solution to the bottleneck, I have recommended to the authorities to shift the sauchalaya to Aarpan Arcade further down. It is yet to materialise,quot; explains Rajendra Lad, Councillor of Ward 163.
CST Road which leads to Bandra Kurla Complex is also in a very poor state it is in a pitiable state with numerous pot holes evenly spread on the stretch. The road is frequently dug up by authorities and is coupled with the problem of double parking by garage owners and rickshaw drivers. This not only results in frequent traffic jams but also serious accidents. quot;Time and again, I have lodged complaints with the police, the RTO and the L-Ward office. They rarely pay heedto them. Most of the times, the officials end up passing the buck, alleges Abdul Hannan Khan, Councillor of ward 162. quot;If not reconstructed or repaired soon, it will be hell of a drive during monsoons,quot; says Rashid Khan, a rickshaw driver residing in the vicinity.
Another problem plaguing the area is the absence of an overhead bridge connecting Kurla East to Kurla West. According to official sources, the plans are ready and also the no-objection certificate has been obtained from the railway authorities. The only hitch, according to a senior official, is that the bridge lands at Buddha colony in the West. If that were to happen, a minimum of 700 hutments would have to he rehabilitated. And being a major vote bank for a local politician, who has been opposing the project for obvious reasons, the plan just might remain on drawing board.
On the other hand, a foot overbridge between the two sides of Kurla is as good as non-existent thanks to hawkers who have been vending fearlessly for years now. quot;We payhafta8217; regularly. Why should we fear anyone,quot; remarks a young vendor questionably.
The list of problems this side of Dharavi do not end at this. Gandhi Maidan 8212; a plot not very far away from station 8212; which has been reserved for a playground has been encroached upon by slums. Though the plot belongs to the Railways, the authorities have not claimed the land yet. Also, public conveniences in Kurla are in a bad state. Most of them are on the verge of collapse. Quite a few of them have no running water. The fact that most of the toilets do not have a proper drainage system, does not seem to bother anyone. A resident concludes: quot;It is a mad-house. It often gives me a feeling that there is no administration in Kurla.quot; We agree.
