VIP Road is being widened but pedestrians are suffering because of waterlogging on the dug-up portion. Metro highlights the perils for pedestrians trying to cross over to Salt Lake from VIP Road and vice-versa.
Where?
VIP Road. At the southern end of the footbridge at Sreebhumi.
What?
Pedestrians crossing over to the Ultadanga-bound flank in Sreebhumi have a pond to cross before coming to the road. The six-metre stretch of land between the end of the footbridge and the road was dug up to widen the carriageway and left like that, resulting in shin-deep water accumulating there. The gradient of the six-metre stretch is nearly one foot below the main road.
HOP, JUMP, SKIP... MONSOON MANTRA FOR PEDESTRIANS
Pedestrians are at a loss once they come down from the footbridge. They look around for a path to reach the road and realise there is none. Some walk through the water, wetting their feet or shoes. Others walk straight along a higher grassy patch for around 50 metres before jumping to a relatively drier part. This walk too is fraught with risks because of the slushy surface. Many people slip and fall while walking or trying to jump across to a drier patch.
Students of the Indira Gandhi Senior Secondary School and their parents suffer regularly because of the waterlogging. "What is the point of having a footbridge if the path below it is waterlogged?" said Irfan Khan, a student of the school who takes the footbridge to reach VIP Road and board a bus to Ultadanga.
Why?
The dug-up portion, technically called a "box cut", is to be converted into a road. Several layers of sand, crushed bricks and other materials will be dumped on the six-metre-wide portion to make the surface strong enough to bear the load of vehicles.
An engineer in the public works department said a drain would be built all along the stretch to flush out rainwater. "Waterlogging will happen till such time we complete the work. We are currently using pumps at intervals to drain out water into the adjacent canal," said the engineer.
A senior official promised to make "some temporary arrangements" so that pedestrians using the footbridge did not have to wade through the accumulated rainwater or risk a fall by walking on slush.
