Mumbai
The fire that broke out in the slums lining the eastern boundary of platform number 1 at Bandra station on Saturday evening has prompted Western Railway authorities to write to BMC to do something about, what one official called, 'a very dangerous situation'.
Updated : Apr 27, 2015, 06:50 AM IST
The fire that broke out in the slums lining the eastern boundary of platform number 1 at Bandra station on Saturday evening has prompted Western Railway authorities to write to BMC to do something about, what one official called, 'a very dangerous situation'.
Speaking to dna, Shailendra Kumar, divisional railway manager WR said, "We will be writing to them because these slums are now touching the railway line and any disaster there – like a fire – can have severe repercussions on the railway system. Last evening, several trains were cancelled and others had to be diverted. It is the job of all agencies to work together to ensure that public amenities like the railways are allowed to work properly."
WR officials told dna that they expect the BMC to create a safety buffer zone between the slums and the railway boundary so that any fire in future does not spill onto the station. "We realise that it is not possible to remove all the slums as there are social and political compulsions involved. However, the need for some empty zone between the slums and the railway premises is essential," said an official.
Saturday's fire saw around 30 trains being cancelled and many getting diverted, thus losing time. Power to the overhead wires had to be shut off for a long period to ensure safety of overhead equipment.
It is not the first time that the slums at Bandra, on either side, have caused problems. In March 2011, a massive fire in the Garib Nagar slums on the western side of the station took down a foot-overbridge along with hundreds of shanties.
The war of words between the state government and the railways over who was responsible for the mess ended up with the state government admitting that the land on which the slum stood belonged to the railways.
However, lack of willpower from the railway administration as well as the state government during that time – a mighty dose of politics from local politicians – ensured that not only was the slum not regulated, but it grew in size with most of the shanties adding an extra floor during the reconstruction.
"The Garib Nagar slums are bigger, better and more dangerous to Bandra station than ever before. Unfortunately, the railways doesn't expect anything better this time around either," said a WR official.