Pedestrians lose sleep over Bandra-Kurla Complex sound barriers

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is benefiting a few but hurting many.

In an effort to make life easier for the residents of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) by putting up special sound barriers, it is making pedestrians face a lot of discomfort while walking on the pavement of the main road.  

The two-kilometre long and two-metre wide pavement has been in a shambles for over six months. Millions of pedestrians who walk towards the MMRDA-constructed skywalk have no other option but to walk on the road, avoiding speeding vehicle.

Ironically, instead of coming up with a way to set things right for the pedestrians, the authority recently came up with a press statement boasting about the world-class sound barriers that are being put up in the stretch. 

“BKC residents, particularly those in the Kalanagar area, will soon enjoy sound sleep,” begins the statement. “MMRDA is installing India’s first ever specialised noise barriers on the 1,150-metre stretch from Kalanagar to the Income Tax building junction. The Rs8.68-crore project is being implemented by MMRDA as per the guidelines issued by the government of Maharashtra.”  

MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar said: “The authority undertook a noise mapping exercise on the 4-km Bandra-Kurla Link Road. Now that the study — which involved steps such as Noise Propagation Modeling, Acoustic Design and finalising material and type of the noise barriers — has been completed, MMRDA has begun to install the noise barriers.”  

However, he agreed that the pavement has been disturbed in the process of putting the noise barriers. “We have issued strict instructions to contractors to restore the footpath once the construction of sound barriers is completed, which will take two more months,” said Kawathkar.