Dark underbelly of Mumbai flyovers a haven for clunkers, hawkers and junkies

In a city where every square inch of space is valuable the spaces beneath flyovers could be transformed into urban assets Yet as revealed by midday in the first part of this series they are filthy encroached upon and unsafe In part two we take a look at the state of areas beneath overpasses in the island city and eastern suburbsSome flyovers particularly in the island city have been developed as part of a civic pilot programme but many remain underutilisedIssues such as abandoned vehicles poor lighting and encroachment by hawkers and drug addicts make these areas unsafe A lack of coordinated planning across multiple agencies has led to compromised safety and limited accessibility for residentsISLAND CITY REGIONJagannath Nana Shankar Sheth Dadar TT flyoverThe gardens and walkways under the flyover are poorly maintained with some areas closed for maintenance forcing pedestrians onto the streets Homeless individuals have taken over seating areas while awkwardly placed barricades disrupt pedestrian movement increasing risks for commutersldquoCompared to the Matunga flyover this spot feels neglectedrdquo said Shreyas Shinde a Dadar resident ldquoNavigating this stretch has become difficult with closed gardens barricades or being forced onto the road Itrsquos not convenient for pedestrians at allrdquo he addedLocals say the area beneath the Jagannath Nana Shankar Sheth flyover at Dadar East is not pedestrianfriendly PicsSatej ShindeSandeep Shelar assistant superintendent gardens of the F North ward confirmed the closure of the gardens citing inadequate sunlight for plant growth He added that the gardens would be reopened once the situation improved ldquoThe gardens under the Dadar flyover have been temporarily closed for maintenance for over a month Adequate sunlight cannot canrsquot reach the location which is why they are not doing well The gardens will be opened once the plants and saplings are seen doing wellrdquo he saidSant Shiromani Namdev Maharaj Flyover Parel flyoverPedestrians below the Sant Shiromani Namdev Maharaj flyover at Parel East PicsSatej ShindeThe presence of footpaths beneath this flyover makes crossings convenient though a motor underpass interrupts pedestrian flow in some areas ldquoThe footpath connectivity here is a relief but the motor underpass area is trickyrdquo said Ritesh Khedekar a Matunga residentLalbaug flyoverNumerous obstructions make walking below the Lalbaug flyover a challenging task PicSatej ShindeThe singlepillar design of the Lalbaug flyover doesnrsquot leave commuters with much space to walk and multiple vehicles have been parked in the space beneath it The continuous footpaths along Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road provide some relief to pedestrians traversing the stretchAhilyatai Rangnekar Hindmata flyoverThe flyover in Dadar East where pedestrians are forced to venture onto the road PicSatej ShindeUnder this flyover several garden spaces are closed forcing pedestrians to venture onto busy roads Locked walkways exacerbated congestion creating unsafe conditions for citizens ldquoItrsquos frustrating to find a garden pathway locked and have to backtrackrdquo said Prashik Kamble a Dadar residentNanalal D Mehta flyoverCitizens relax on benches beneath the Nanalal D Mehta flyover at Maheshwari Udyan in Matunga East PicSatej ShindeIn contrast this flyover stood out for its wellmaintained walkways and gardens which pedestrians seemed to appreciate ldquoThe wellconnected pathways ensure a smooth accessible commute for pedestriansrdquo said a Matunga residentEASTERN SUBURBSAmar Mahal flyoverBarricades have been stolen from the area below Amar Mahal flyover in Chembur PicAditi HaralkarThe space below of Amar Mahal flyover which has been encroached on by beggars has witnessed the theft of barricades Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Mote told midday that a police complaint had been filed against the thievesShivaji Nagar junction flyoverPedestrians cross the road at Shivaji Nagar Chowk Govandi amid vehicular traffic PicsAnurag AhireGovandi residents expressed concerns about safety while crossing the GhatkoparMankhurd Link Road where rash driving and a lack of proper signalling pose risks Residents called for a pedestrian subway to improve safetyMankhurd junction underpassThe underpass near the Mankhurd railway station is a haunt for hawkers and vagrants PicsAnurag AhireThe underpass near Mankhurd railway station has been overrun by hawkers and drug addicts making it unsafe for pedestrians particularly women and children ldquoHawkers occupy the space and drug addicts gather there at night creating unsafe conditionsrdquo said Ashok Kawale a residentAshok Kawale Mankhurd residentKurla signal flyoverAbandoned vehicles lie below the Kurla signal flyover PicsAditi HaralkarThis spot has become a dumping ground for abandoned vehicles ldquoAbandoned vehicles pose a threat and the area is unsafe especially at nightrdquo said Nilesh Kamble a Kurla resident Locals said that despite requesting the authorities to act the problem continues to persistMote said the area below the flyover falls under the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation which had been informed about the vehicles The MSRDC did not reply to middayrsquos queries by press timeExpert insightsNayana Kathpalia coconvenor of NGO Citispace who has been fighting to save Mumbairsquos open spaces told midday that pedestrian safety is paramountldquoFootpaths and spaces under flyovers must remain free from encroachments ensuring proper pathways for pedestriansrdquo added Kathpalia who as the founder trustee of NAGAR has been working on issues pertaining to solid waste management improvement in air quality preserving beaches mangroves heritage places efficient road space management and water conservationSocial activist Nikhil Desai highlighted issues beneath the Sion Hospital flyover where impounded vehicles have been stored for years ldquoThe authorities need to take action to remove these vehicles as they create major obstacles for pedestriansrdquo he saidHe added ldquoI have also complained several times about this to BMC but no action has been taken Now recently I have also written a letter to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani I hope at least now the authorities pay heed to the issue as pedestrians are the ones facing the most due to this Just imagine the horror of navigating through these impounded vehicles while walkingrdquo