Efforts to improve lifespan of overhead structures; open spaces to be cleared of shops
Telegraph | 23 June 2025
The open areas under flyovers and bridges will be cleared of settlements and stalls, and fences will be built around them to prevent further attempts to “encroach” these spaces, said a state government official.
Stalls or settlements of people encroach on the spaces under most bridges and flyovers in the city. The residents light fires to cook, and the stall owners and residents use the pillars of the bridges and flyovers as support to hang objects.
These shops and settlements make it impossible to conduct a thorough inspection of the elevated structures from below, as they block access to critical points of the structure.
The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), custodian of several bridges and flyovers in the city, has already started erecting a fence under Ma Saradamani Setu near Taj Bengal.
It has now floated tenders to demolish unauthorised structures and erect fences under Chetla bridge, Ambedkar bridge on EM Bypass, Chingrighata flyover, Bagmari bridge, Jibanananda Setu and the slip bridge taking vehicles from VIP Road to EM Bypass, among others.
Although people have lived under flyovers and bridges for years, the decision to evict them came after a fire in a settlement under the New Alipore flyover last year damaged the concrete of the bridge.
Last Friday, Calcutta’s mayor and state urban development minister, Firhad Hakim, said no one will be allowed to stay under flyovers and bridges.
Three departments of the state government look after most flyovers and bridges in the city — KMDA, under the urban development department; the HRBC, under the transport department; and the public works department (PWD).
“The life of flyovers is getting shorter. The heat from the fire used for cooking is impacting the flyovers. The heat is expanding the iron reinforcements. In case of a fire, like the one that broke out below the Durgapur bridge, the expansion of the iron reinforcements is very high. This reduces the strength of the reinforcements,” Hakim said.
A government engineer said concrete and the reinforcements can tolerate up to a certain temperature. If the temperature breaches the threshold, the reinforcements lose strength. It can also happen when heat generated from cooking reaches the reinforcements daily over several years. Gradually, the reinforcements lose strength, the engineer said.
“We have decided not to allow anyone to settle under the flyovers and bridges,” Hakim added.
A fire broke out under the Durgapur bridge in New Alipore on December 21.
The temperature of the concrete under the bridge had gone up significantly because of the fire under the structure. It reduced the moisture content of the concrete, making it brittle on the surface, KMDA sources had said then.
The KMDA had to undertake repairs under the bridge to fix the damage.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had raised concerns about the damage to the bridge. “The fire has affected the health of the Durgapur bridge. We have been forced to impose some restrictions. We have to undertake an extensive repair job. It is going to cost us a lot of money. We sent a team for inspection... which revealed that the flames damaged the bridge,” Mamata had said after the fire.