Criminal negligence and abdication of duties led to overcrowding, possible short circuit and apprehension of the foot over bridge collapsing, which collectively caused the stampede at the Elphinstone Road Station on September 29, 2017. This situation is not unique to Elphinstone Road. Railway stations across Mumbai, many of which are centuries-old, carry heavy passenger flows without any infrastructural upgradation. Our railway system, which runs at an over four-fold capacity, is in urgent need of remedial measures and traffic engineering to avoid further catastrophes. Here are some immediate solutions:
Re-engineer bridges: Based on a quick study of the number of commuters, their origin and destination and the shortfall in carrying capacity of stations, the entry/exit points, staircases and foot over bridges need to be re-engineered to increase throughput. This includes widening areas, adding new corridors and/or effectively diverting pedestrian movements to achieve minimum crowding in one area.
Install alarms: All movement corridors need to be well-defined as incoming and outgoing, with, if possible, volumetric detectors to indicate alarms when these staircases or pathways are overcrowded.
Remove barricades: The issue of overcrowding is aggravated by side-barricading of staircases and bridges with GI sheets, installed to prevent fly-tipping. These must be removed immediately to provide adequate light and ventilation to commuters.
These three measures must be rolled out within say three months, in a cost-effective manner through an expedited tendering process. Construction should be carried out using standard design steel and concrete which are time-tested, and sturdy materials which can be sourced easily. Aluminium composite panels or plastic, which are highly combustible, should not be used in any of these spaces.
Retrofit entry/exit: A fundamental issue pertinent to many suburban stations is the lack of spill-out spaces at entry and exit points. In many cases, passengers step on to main roads in the face of moving traffic as soon as they exit the station. Hence, areas near entry/exits of stations need to be retrofitted to create these holding areas to effectively disperse the throngs of people. In congested station areas, these could be provided as elevated decks at a higher level connected to foot over bridges.
With the growing web of Railways and the Metro, it is important to substantiate networks with onward public bus networks to ensure last-mile connectivity and achieve an optimal and effective public transport system.
Pankaj Joshi is a conservation architect. He is Executive Director, UDRI and Trustee, School of Environment and Architecture
