Work is finally starting on the construction of an escalator for easy access to the subway connecting the two sides of the Major Arterial Road in New Town in Action Area I. But encroachment by hawkers is creating an impediment to the egress of the residents living in the housing complex next to one side of the subway.
The Nazrul Tirtha pedestrian subway is the oldest in the township and connects the Animikha Housing Estate side to the Millennium Tower side.
“It had a lacuna in not having an escalator. For years, we have had the elderly and the unfit complaining about the climb up and down the stairs. But there was no space to add an escalator in the existing set-up as the entrances of the housing estates would have got blocked. Our engineers sat down with a consultant to reach a solution. If the upward ascent on both sides could start after a short walk underneath then space could be found for an escalator outlet without permanently blocking the Animikha gate,” said a Hidco official.
The tender process was completed by January but work could not be started due to the presence of utility lines underground. About 10 days ago, the West Bengal Electricity Distribution Company finally shifted its 33KV and 11KV power lines.
An exit space created for vehicles amid encroachments by hawkers
Another hurdle was the temporary blocking of the entry gate of Animikha during work on the stretch. A meeting was held between Debashis Sen, the then managing director and other Hidco officials, and the residents’ association representatives. “Our emergency gate had been blocked for years by hawkers encroaching the pavement opposite DLF Park 1. We suggested that the gate be freed of encroachment. Since it was not wide enough, a second gate was needed for exit of vehicles. The Hidco officials negotiated with the hawkers to free some space and created an exit gate by breaking our boundary wall,” said Subodh Biswas, president of Animikha Apartment Owners’ Association.
On Tuesday, The Telegraph Salt Lake found work on the escalator to have started in full swing, with three full-grown trees felled on the pavement and a lamppost uprooted as well. The complex’s main gate has reportedly been shut for two weeks now.
The alternative entry spaces on a side, residents complain, are full of hazards as the entire stretch is taken over by hawkers selling street food, catering mostly to employees from the offices at DLF Park. “Motorcycles and cars are parked at will on both sides. Customers buy food or smoke standing in front of our gates. It creates a great challenge for the free movement of pedestrians and cars of our complex. If our gate-keeper asks them to move, sometimes they challenge him, saying he was no policeman. A big showdown is waiting to happen unless the police deploy a traffic constable here,” said association vice-president Debashis Basu, adding that they had met the police top brass with the demand.
The smoke from the coal-fired ovens and the noise at the illegal eateries have always been a headache for residents of the west-facing apartments, like Biswas. “Despite being residents of a smart city, we are having to suffer from coal dust and smoke, not to mention the buzz of customers till 1 am. Now, with the footpaths occupied, our residents walking out of the complex have to negotiate the randomly parked vehicles as they are forced to walk on the carriageway, which has bikes and totos speeding at all hours,” Biswas said.
The association will have to foot the bill to adjust the CCTV coverage of the new entries. But there is more in store. “Last week, a loaded goods vehicle braked to avoid running into generator wires hanging in the middle of the gate connecting two pavement shacks and slid back down the slope, hitting a building pillar in the process. The impact has damaged our CCTV camera,” Basu complained.
A Hidco official said they hoped to finish work by monsoon. “Work can be speeded up if the heat subsides,” he said.
Write to saltlake@abp.in