Water leaks from the pipelines of the Churchgate station building, piled up tar, and the smell of waste and faeces — both animal and human — are wreaking havoc on the senses of those who tread the path every day.
Walking on the footpath along the eastern end of Churchgate station has become a frustrating experience for Western Railway (WR) commuters. Water leaks from the pipelines of the Churchgate station building, piled up tar, and the smell of waste and faeces — both animal and human — are wreaking havoc on the senses of those who tread the path every day.
Shantilal Desai, a Borivli resident, who frequently commutes to Churchgate, told DNA that he usually tries to avoid the footpath since it is extremely filthy. “The only option left is to use the roads. During the evening and morning peak hours, amidst blaring horns of buses and taxis, a crowd of people walking on the same tiny stretch of zebra crossing makes the experience worse,” complained Desai.
Another commuter, Eknath Gaikwad, who said he had come to Churchgate after several months, found that the situation of the footpath had worsened. “There were always beggars who had turned the footpath into their home. However, this time, the water leaks below the Churchgate building and sheer filth on the footpath was astonishing. What is the point of having a footpath if it is forcing pedestrians to walk on the already congested streets?” asked Gaikwad.
Due to the filthy footpath, commuters use the zebra crossing to continue their pedestrian journeys on the relatively wider footpath at the other end. However, this frequently causes traffic congestion as pedestrian and vehicular traffic have to negotiate the same tiny stretch. The spot has also become more vulnerable to accidents.
WR’s chief spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan sought to shift blame on the BMC.
“The footpath comes under the jurisdiction of BMC,” he said. Chandrayan wouldn’t explain why nothing was being done to stop the litres of water leaking daily from the Churchgate station building.
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