Mission Hancock Bridge

By: A Staff Reporter
Monday, July 16th, 2007

Concern- an NGO vies for the BMC’s attention to renovate the age-old bridge built in 1879

Mazgaon’s Hancock Bridge is in a pretty bad shape. The pavement of the bridge is spread with debris and shanties dotting one side. The iron railings on one side are rusty. The man structure of the bridge too, is also cracking at several places, owing to weeds growing from them.

An NGO, Concern has been trying to get the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay attention to the pitiful condition of the bridge, but to no avail. The organisation requires funds to do the work on its own, besides help from various sources in the area. Concern’s last endeavour was the beautification of the Ollivant Bridge on Mazgaon’s Nesbit Road.

Impressed by the new look of various structures in Sandhurst Road, various residents in the area requested the NGO to adopt the bridge and work on its renovation. “The Fazlani International Baccalaureate School at Mazagaon, the Fayze Husayni and various prominent citizens and residents sent complaints regarding the dilapidated condition of the Hancock Bridge,” said Chairman, Concern, Abuzar N. Zakir.

According to Zakir, the cost of painting the bridge will be around Rs.5 lakhs and the repairing would cost around Rs. eight to ten lakhs.

Further Abuzar informed, “There is lot of work to be done for which we need expert hands like we have with the BMC. We have been discussing the issue with BMC’s B and E wards since the bridge falls under the both. But they said that such work is looked after by the Bridge Department so we have approach them. We got noe response from there. We appeal to the civic body to respond since it is matter of protecting an age-old structure built in 1879.”