Protest against skywalk in Mulund

Shopkeepers on Monday protested against the skywalk at Mulund which is under construction.

Shopkeepers on Monday protested against the skywalk at Mulund which is under construction. The 100- metre skywalk is being built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) at a cost of Rs 70 crore on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) laid the road well and constructed good footpaths. So there is no need of a skywalk. If the skywalk is built,the length of the road,which is currently around 45 metres,would be reduced to 35 to 37 metres. This would result in clogging of traffic, said Rakesh Shetty,who is the president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committees (MPCC) self-employment cell. As many as 100 trees are likely to face the axe in the process, he said. Shetty alleged that the MMRDA did not take the locals into confidence.

It is to be noted the MMRDA is controlled by chief minister,a Congressman. The Congress has also been claiming the credit of the work undertaken by the MMRDA for its projects like skywalk,Metro and monorail projects. With elections around the corner,the stunts are bound to happen, said an MMRDA official.

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But there are people who are welcoming skywalk in Mulund. The skywalk will connect east and the west. Considering the increase in vehicles in Mulund and also the station road area,the skywalk would benefit the school children and senior citizens, said Prakash Paddikal,member of Hill Road Residents Welfare Association (HIRWA),a Mulund-based NGO. The local MLA Sardar Tara Singh had also called for a meeting with senior officials of the MMRDA. The agency considered our suggestions. Even Charan Singh Sapra gave his consent for the project, added Paddikal.

We started constructing the skywalk only after accepting the suggestions from the locals. We have also made changes as proposed by them, said a senior MMRDA official on condition of anonymity.

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