Mumbai’s lifeline – the local train – came to a standstill as train services on the Western line were affected due to the collapse of a road overbridge near Andheri railway station on Tuesday morning. The bridge has become the foreground of politics as the responsible parties for the calamity, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Railways are now trading blame among each other over the responsibility of the bridge.
In addition to this, the Western Railway (WR) had claimed that all bridges in the Virar-Churchgate route are safe.
Sharad Yadav had filed a Right to Information (RTI) to probe if WR executes a structural audit of bridges on the western line. The railway administration had declared all bridges. between Virar and Churchgate to be safe in a letter released in February 2016.
Also Read: BMC Had Paid The Estimated Cost Of Repair To The WR In 2011
In the letter, the railways mentioned that all bridges on the Virar-Churchgate route are inspected once a year under the supervision of Senior Section Engineer and Assistant Divisional Engineer. If any structure is found unfit for use and has to be repaired, concerned notices are issued to the responsible authority. The letter stated in clear words that all bridges on the route were found to be safe.
It still remains a question as to whether or not a structural audit was carried out on the collapsed bridge this year. The blame-game between the Railway administration and the BMC is on in full-swing as none of the parties are willing to take up the responsibility of the collapse.
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