Mind the gap

Representational images. Pic/iStock

Bridge over troubled water, Bridges of Madison County, Bridge on the River Kwai…" Lady Flora was surprised as she approached her friend Sir PM, and his voice became audible. "Why on earth are you rattling off the names of films that have the word ‘bridge' in it?" she enquired. Sir PM turned around from his bench at Cooperage Bandstand, a bit startled, to realise that his friend had overheard his utterances.

"Well, my Lady, I was hoping to find a link with all these titles, and hopefully, coin a tune as a timely reminder for our beloved Bombaywallahs. The poor souls have become unwilling bystanders to yet another closure and demolition - this time, it's that famous and historic Elphinstone Bridge. Good ole Elphinstone - bless his soul - must be wondering how and why things came to such a pass. That bridge is a critical connector between the central and western arms of the city as they converge towards the island city. Agreed, the time has come to demolish the bridge and create a more modern alternative, but why haven't proper contingency plans been put into order, as exhaustively appeared in this newspaper?" Sir PM pulled out a copy of mid-day to show Lady Flora the coverage that he was referring to. She pored over it for the next few minutes and added, "Gosh, Pheroze. I was aware of the rumblings over this decision; I had overheard many below my pedestal worry about their commute in the aftermath of this decision, but I didn't imagine things could come to such anguish," she sighed, looking at the newspaper again. "And to think that only some time ago, the city had to deal with the news that the Sion bridge by its railway station had shut for work. Not sure why your former bosses have thought this through entirely, especially with regards to the inconvenience; in fact, add to it, given that they are already troubled enough. I've heard that residents of some adjacent buildings will be affected by the new plan. Such anti-common man disruptive practices!" she scowled.

"As we speak, I've learnt that the power of the common man's protests has prevailed for now, and that work hasn't begun on its demolition. There will be talks, I believe, to assuage the situation and arrive at a logical, and I hope, pro-citizen conclusion. None other than our Chief Minister is looking into the matter with the local leaders and the residents to find an amicable solution. Hopefully, the residents' problems should get resolved. Work shouldn't begin without their nod," Sir PM revealed. He went on to show a hand-drawn sketch of the scenario, and how the demolition and new bridge would affect the surrounding buildings. "I also learnt that the demolition will be done in phases, and not at one go. May there be some method to this madness," he added.

"Pheroze…I have a question. Since the civic body looks after such a large, complex city as ours, I was wondering how come there is no problem-solving department; like a department that has these experts from all fields, who can brainstorm and come up with relatable, logistically and financially viable and people-friendly blueprints for solutions to such issues that emerge due to mega infrastructure projects? It is a given, don't you think? We have some of the best brains in the world, and now that that orange-haired madman is ruling the United States, many Indians are returning to their homeland. So, there should be no dearth of brains to suggest such plans in advance and ensure they benefit the common man. We cannot wait until D-Day or in this case, when local residents have to take to the streets. And to think that many of them are staring at the possibility of losing their original homes. Surely, there must be a way out," she remarked.

Sir PM opened another file that included clippings from different city newspapers. "Just look at the number of issues that have cropped up merely by the shutting down of bridges in the city…I am appalled by this state of affairs. Surely, we can do better. As it is, the city is choking with traffic snarls everywhere. There is perennial work on the two main highways, not to mention the arterial and connector roads. While we praise the benefits of the Coastal Road, I am afraid that these issues of its older, inner roads and bridges get forgotten. I wish someone higher up in the ranks looks at the larger picture in such matters. The Bombaywallah comes first, and they must ensure their convenience above all else," Sir PM thundered. He was upset that his dear citizens were harassed. Trying to lighten the mood and knowing that Sir PM loved Sinatra, Lady Flora suggested, "I found one song, a favourite classic; let's hope someday we can croon the same for Elphinstone Bridge Version 2.0," sighed Lady Flora, as she began singing from The Brooklyn Bridge:

"Like the folks you meet on
Like to plant my feet on the Brooklyn Bridge
What a lovely view from
Heaven looks at you from the
Brooklyn Bridge…"

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com