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3 crawling projects make locals crawl in Mumbai

The projects have left Tilak Nagar, Chembur with traffic jams, non-stop honking & dusty air.

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Merchant banker Ganesh Pratihar dreads the daily commute from his Tilak Nagar residence to his office in south Mumbai. Pratihar and other residents of Chembur and Tilak Nagar get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic during peak hours on almost every road in the area since 2006.

“The Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR), the flyover at the Amar Mahal Junction and the work related to monorail are mainly responsible for making my life miserable. All the three projects have delayed either due to apathy on the part of the agencies or reasons best known to the government,” said Pratihar, who has to use his car every day because he carries important documents and sometimes, valuables.

While Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials are enthusiastic about the monorail’s first phase from Chembur to Wadala, those living close to the Chembur Art Society claim that the work is far from over.

“There are pillars, but the girders are yet to be installed. How can the MMRDA claim that they will run the monorail here next year? We have been silently suffering because of this project for almost three years now,” complained Ashfaq Umar, who rides his bike every day for work in the area but still gets stuck at several spots.
While work for the monorail is on at a snail’s pace, the SCLR has turned out to be a real tragedy.

Residents of Tilak Nagar have been suffering because of the dust and noise pollution caused by the World Bank-funded project.

“We do not want to know who has funded it and how it will help the city. Has a single politician bothered to see what state we are living in? They have raised a few buildings, but the project still remains idle. How long do these officials and politicians want us to suffer?” asked Gaurav Mane, a resident of Tilak Nagar who runs a shop near the railway station.

Vendor Laxmibai Satav pointed out that safety is a concern where the construction work is on. “The company has mentioned that trespassing in the area is dangerous. But thousands of commuters have to use the same road every day,” said Satav.

Nearby, the ongoing work on the Amar Mahal Junction flyover is making life difficult for motorists who want to get on to the Eastern Express Highway and travel from Chembur to Ghatkopar and beyond.

“The flyover work has been on for ages. I waste a lot of time on signals here,” complained a motorist.

Senior MMRDA officials acknowledged that the three projects had crossed their deadlines.

“We have come across many difficulties during execution of these projects. In case of the Amar Mahal Junction, the traffic police permission is a big issue. But, the flyover will be of greater use only after the SCLR is opened for traffic,” said an MMRDA official, requesting anonymity.

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