Unclean staircase, dangling electrical wires, battered wire mesh, broken lights, and a tattered canopy — the foot overbridge (FOB) at Harsh Vihar from which a 16-year-old boy fell to his death on Wednesday afternoon appeared neglected for weeks during a spot check by HT on Thursday morning.
Following the boy’s death after he leaned against the FOB’s decrepit guardrail, HT found that three men were sitting on the stairs of the corroding structure, even as the police had put up barricade tapes in the area.
Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) which owns the infrastructure, said there were no specific schedules for maintenance and repairs.
“There are about 3-4 schools close by and students use this FOB. However, it is hardly used by anyone else during the day,” said Shoaib Khan, an auto-rickshaw driver who regularly parks his vehicle under the Harsh Vihar FOB.
This overbridge, HT found, is not an anomaly.
There are about 113 FOBs across the city built and maintained by PWD and several of these are among the most neglected urban infrastructure in Delhi.
Anand Vihar is one of the most used FOBs as it connects the Metro station and bus depot.
However, during HT’s spot check, a grille installed to block the escalator showed that it stopped working years ago and was never repaired. The shopkeepers outside said they have never seen the FOB being cleaned.
On the FOB at GT Road, near Shyam Lal College, HT found a cavity for a lift that was covered with large drums. Locals said that the lift was never installed.
“The FOB was made just over two years ago, but the lift was never installed” said Jasbir Singh who owns a shop next to it.
And the FOB near Akshardham Metro station was blocked from the public as it was under repair.
Officials from the PWD department said that while there are funds for the construction of FOBs, there is no maintenance plan.
“We have budget allocations for the construction of FOBs, but there are no funds for maintenance. Repairs are taken up when there is a complaint,” said a PWD official, requesting anonymity.
Urban experts said traffic lights and zebra crossings were more feasible alternatives to FOBs.
“The world over, urban designers find FOBs to be a failed concept as they pose mobility challenges for the elderly, physically challenged, etc. Implementing synchronised traffic management systems, coupled with robust enforcement, fosters a safer environment,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, founder and trustee of Raahgiri Foundation.