Andheri East flyover repairs should be done by PWD: MMRDA

MUMBAI: As the tussle between MMRDA and the BMC on whose responsibility it is to repair the dilapidated Jog flyover in Andheri East persists, MMRDA has informed the civic body that the flyover is owned by the Public Works Department (PWD). It has also stated that according to a 2015 Bombay high court order, PWD is responsible for the repairs.
The July 25 letter sent by MMRDA’s chief engineer D M Chamalwar, of which HT has a copy, states that the PWD had ‘handed over the Western Express Highway (WEH), which includes the Jog flyover, to MMRDA for maintenance from 2017 to 2019’. In 2022, MMRDA handed over responsibility of WEH to the BMC.
To resolve the issue, a meeting was held on June 13, 2024 with MMRDA and PWD officials, which was chaired by the deputy municipal commissioner of BMC (Zone III), K East ward. The letter states that during this meeting, Kalyani Gupta, executive engineer at PWD, clarified that the aforementioned bridge was within the PWD’s jurisdiction.
‘Therefore, BMC must coordinate with PWD regarding this matter,’ says the letter. ‘It sounds like there’s a situation involving ongoing litigation between PWD and Hiranandani Construction Pvt Ltd, Mahakali Flyover Company Ltd and Jog Engineering Ltd. The executive engineer from PWD has informed the DMC about this matter. Additionally, the BMC was provided with a copy of the HC judgment related to a writ petition of 2015.’
HT is also in possession of the Bombay high court order on the above-mentioned writ petition which states, ‘PWD will have access to the leased land/space below flyover for inspection of flyover from maintenance point of view and repair if any.’
Chamalwar, in his letter to the BMC, further says: ‘PWD, as per the judgment, should provide access to BMC for the purpose of inspection and repair of the bridge. Both PWD and MMRDA officials informed the DMC (Zone-III) that the subject matter does not pertain to MMRDA. It has been confirmed that the flyover in question is owned by the PWD. Therefore, further correspondence, if any, in this regard, shall be directly done with PWD.’
While HT has been consistently reporting this back-and-forth correspondence between the BMC and MMRDA since June 23, the bridge remains in a precarious condition. A portion of the flyover slab collapsed on July 5, narrowly missing a motorist on July 5.
A week before the collapse, HT on June 23 had reported that a VJTI report had declared the bridge as dilapidated and in need of urgent repairs.
HT had also reported on July 25 how civic chief Bhushan Gagrani had instructed his senior civic officials to write to MMRDA that due to ongoing litigation between PWD and Hiranandani Constructions (P) Ltd, the BMC would not conduct repairs of the dilapidated Jog flyover.