Need quality infra in city, not frequent repairs

The foot overbridge at the north end of Charni Road station was shut in 2019 as a safety measure. File pic

Broken tiles that can injure commuters, missing tiles and pieces that have popped up on the surface - this is status woe of a pair of two-month-old overbridges at Marine Lines station. A bridge that came up as recently as a year ago at Charni Road station looks quite similar.

In the past two months, the tiles on the crematorium bridge steps have come off or become loose. The latter is also dangerous as that means they are wobbly. Commuters can easily slip and fall. Also remember that this is monsoon season, where infra is slippery and negotiation is always tricky, especially in rush hour where people run for trains.

The other bridge tiles are loose too, and this means a dangerous and delicate balancing act for those who use this stretch. This needs trapeze artiste-like dexterity, and when one is carrying parcels, these steps are simply an invitation to fall, resulting in grievous injury.

An official, when asked for a response, has stated in a report in this paper that they have been receiving complaints. The steps will be repaired very soon. Yet, this seems to be missing the wood for the trees.

The bigger question, as often highlighted by this edit space, is sub-standard work which needs repairs barely a few months after it is done. This is a colossal waste of time, energy and taxes, in no particular order.

Take quality as priority and hold those who sign off on slipshod work accountable. The point is not about getting the work done but seeing that it sustains wear and tear through a period of time.

This repair-falling apart-repair once again rigmarole is seen in different infra across the city. Once and for all, we need this ludicrous merry-go-round to stop and insist on top notch right from the word go.