The construction of the Kalighat skywalk has turned into a torment for residents living along Kali Temple Road, which connects Kalighat temple and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road.
Several buildings have mounds of earth dumped in front of their gates. The residents have no option but to walk over uneven heaps of soil, broken bricks, broken pipes, iron roads and other materials. There are elderly people and kids who cross the perilous track every day.
Many of the houses and apartments have garages, but they can hardly be used to park cars as the road in front is closed. Some of them were prosecuted for parking their cars on a road, but residents said they were helpless.
All the residents who spoke requested anonymity lest the authorities think they were opposing the project.
The skywalk will stretch between the intersection of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road and Kali Temple Road and a spot near the temple gate. There will be an arm towards the Kalighat fire station for the devotees approaching the temple from Hazra Road.
The Telegraph inspected the stretch on Monday and then asked senior personnel with years of experience in construction of public utilities what should have been done.
Entry and exit
The problem: A 78-year-old man has to walk over heaps of soil that is uneven, undulating and also slippery because the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which is building the skywalk, did not bother to keep the footpath free for residents.
“I don’t want the project to face any trouble but the authorities should also think about us who live here. They should leave the footpath clean or at least leave some space that is not muddy and slippery,” said the man.
The Telegraph tried to reach the gates of some of the houses.
The trudge was through mounds of soil, broken concrete pipes and a slushy pathway. In some places even the uneven surface is barely 2ft wide. There is no dry patch and one has to be cautious with every step.
In some places, there were only bricks laid on the surface so that residents do not have to step on the slush, but there is every possibility of someone losing balance while stepping on a brick and falling.
“We have been living like this since the digging started a month ago,” said one resident.
About six buildings, including some multi-storey apartments, were affected by this problem.
What could have been done: The KMC should have placed barricades facing the homes to ensure that the soil does not lie strewn around in front the gates of the buildings, said an engineer with a private construction company.
“At least 4ft to 5ft of space should be left for residents of the buildings along the construction site,” the engineer said. Besides, the walkway should be illuminated, especially during the monsoon.
Lights should also hang from the barricades surrounding the construction site to alert people so that none goes inside.
Debashis Kumar, MLA from Rashbehari, said: “I will look into this. I will resolve this.”
Stretches of Kali Temple Road. Residents have to trudge through slushy soil and construction materials risking their lives and limbs Pradip Sanyal
Parking woes
The problem: With Kali Temple Road blocked, residents can no longer park cars in their garages. An apartment block with nearly 120 residents is one of the worst affected.
“We had our garage on the ground floor. But everyone is clueless where to keep their cars now,” said a resident.
Another resident of Kali Temple Road said Sadananda Road, which is very close, is a no-parking zone and they cannot park their cars there. “One of my relatives had parked his car on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road. The police prosecuted him and he had to pay a fine. Where will we keep our cars? No one ever bothered to ask us,” said the agitated resident.
The residents said elected representatives or KMC officials had not bothered to meet them before the project started to figure out what problems they could face.
What could have been done: The practice adopted during Durga Puja could have been replicated here. People who have their homes along a road that remains closed during Puja are allowed to park their cars on a road.
“Residents who have their houses along the roads leading to Ekdalia Evergreen are given passes so they can park their cars on another road. Police do not prosecute the cars displaying the passes,” said an officer of Kolkata police.
When told about this problem, Debashis Kumar said the residents could approach him. “I will request the residents to write to me or approach me about the parking issue. I will definitely try to find out a solution,” Kumar said.
