Inspect spot at Sandhurst road for FOB, court tells BMC, government

The Bombay high court on Friday directed the railways, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra government to conduct a fresh inspection of a spot at Sandhurst Road in south Mumbai where a foot overbridge (FOB) is to be constructed to prevent rail mishap.

A division bench of Justice S.S. Kemkar and Justice M.S. Karnik, while hearing a petition filed by city resident Kamlakar Shenoy asked the authorities to conduct the inspection after the Railways informed the court that it would not be possible to construct a temporary bridge. “If you (authorities) want to do something then you will do it. Where there is a will there is a way,” the court said.

The bench has asked the authorities to conduct the inspection and submit a report on July 4 to the court.

After demolition of the Hancock Bridge in January this year, people were forced to use the railway tracks to cross from one side to the other, which led to several accidents and also the death of a schoolboy.

The court had last month directed the civic body and Central Railway to decide on a site where a temporary FOB could be constructed to help people cross near Sandhurst Road.

The Railways has been told to ensure that border walls along the tracks are properly built to prevent illegal crossing.