The Comba subway which has been a pathway for students has caught the attention of the new TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, thanks to the pre-monsoon showers that lashed the State last week. This time around, the situation however has worsened, with sewage water inundating the subway, raising a scare even before the rains could come down full throttle.
Vijai’s swift handling of the situation should be appreciated, however, plugging the flow of sewage into the subway in not a ‘watertight’ solution. The subway is prone to water-logging every time there is a heavy downpour, making it difficult for pedestrians, especially students and motorists who have to wade through the muddy waters to cross over.
In July 2010, a 12th standard student was run over by a speeding train while trying to cross the tracks, since her vehicle could not make it past the water-logged subway. Successive governments have failed to find a solution despite the tragedy even as students continue to cross over the railway tracks risking their lives in a rush to make it to their class.
The TCP Minister should work out a long-term solution so that water is not accumulated in the subway. Hot-mixing of the road inside the subway and white-washing the walls may give it a fresh look, but the long-term issue of water-logging which makes the subway virtually unaccessible still remains unresolved.
