Submit report on Carnac rail bridge condition: Bombay HC to BMC

The Bombay High Court today directed the Central Railway and the BMC's engineering department to submit reports on whether the Carnac rail over bridge in south Mumbai needs to be demolished due to its poor condition.

A division bench of justices N H Patil and G S Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation challenging the railways' decision to demolish the bridge on the grounds that it is dilapidated.

Railways' counsel Suresh Kumar today told the court that, as per the experts' report, the bridge is weak and, hence, poses a risk to commuters who travel by suburban trains.

The petitioner's lawyer, however, claimed that there was no such report and that the demolition of the bridge would cause inconvenience to the people of Mumbai.

The bench then directed the Divisional Railway Manager of Central Railway and the civic body's engineering department to inspect the bridge and submit reports.

"If after perusing the reports we feel that the bridge is indeed dilapidated then we will not pass orders staying the demolition. We cannot put people's lives at risk just because the demolition will cause inconvenience. Citizens can bear the inconvenience for some time," Justice Patil said.

The court directed that the reports be submitted by April 20, when it would hear the petition.