Satis to decongest areas around key Mumabi railway station

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now decided to implement the Station Area Traffic Improvement System (Satis) to decongest the areas around railway stations. It will be implemented at Dadar, Andheri and Kurla stations in the first phase.

Earlier, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had planned to implement the project. The MMRDA has already surveyed railway stations for the project. But due to some unavoidable reasons, it abandoned the project after constructing skywalks near the railway stations.

Now the civic body has decided to complete the project. It has already started the survey of hawkers and unauthorised structures near the Dadar, Kurla and Andheri stations.

After completing the survey, the civic body will decide whether to relocate the hawkers and the unauthorised structures.

According to senior civic officials from the road department, it is challenging task for the BMC to shift the hawkers.

“The civic body has to provide them alternate accommodation, which they don’t have,” said the officer.

“As soon as the survey is completed, we will take the final decision on implementation of the Satis,” the officer added.

Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner, admitted that the civic body is going to implement the project.

“We are studying the survey conducted by the MMRDA. After going through the survey, we will decide how to implement it,” he said.

Rahul Shewale, chairman of the BMC’s standing committee, said, “The civic body will implement the project. We are also trying to make funds available for the project. As soon as the first phase is finalised, we will decide for other stations too,” Shewale said.