National
‘Aam Aadmi’ inaugurates 3 FOBs built by army in Mumbai (Lead)
Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) Three much-awaited railway foot overbridges (FOBs), constructed by the Indian Army in less than three months, were inaugurated on Tuesday by three common Mumbai commuters for public use on the city’s suburban section of the Indian Railways, officials said.
The new FOBs are at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivali stations here on the congested suburban networks of Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR).
The first inaugural plaque (Elphinstone Road) was unveiled by a flower-vendor Shivraj Konde, the second one (Currey Road) by a Dabbawala, Sopan More, and the third (Ambivali) by a fisherwoman, Lata C. Koli.
The honours were done in the presence of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Defence Suresh Bhamre and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state ministers, parliamentarians, legislators, railway top brass and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Goyal expressed gratitude to the Indian Army for undertaking the mammoth task and completing it in a record time.
“Since October, 2017, 20 FOBs have been built over the Mumbai suburban section, including three by the Indian Army, and the rest by CR and WR. Another 22 FOBs shall be taken up by June and 56 more shall be provided in 12 months,” Goyal said.
“With a total of 100 new FOBs for Mumbai commuters, and other major projects in the city, we shall cherish the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘New India, New Railways’,” the minister added.
Earlier, Goyal, Bhamre and Fadnavis surprised many home-bound commuters by catching a slow local train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Parel station on the CR for the inauguration ceremony in the afternoon.
The decision to hand over the FOBs’ construction to the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG), a division of the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers, came in the wake of the stampede at Elphinstone Road FOB on September 29, 2017, in which 23 commuters were killed and 40 injured.
Following the huge outrage among the eight million-plus Mumbai commuters, who use Mumbai’s lifeline daily, Goyal requested Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to help construct the crucial FOBs on a “war-footing”.
Initially, the FOBs were scheduled to be completed by the January 31 deadline set by the state and the Centre, officials said.
The construction was delayed due to several reasons, including a change in the alignment and an additional staircase at the Elphinstone Road FOB on WR connecting to Parel on CR, shifting the site of the FOB at Currey Road, and an additional staircase, requisitioning material from various parts of the country and other local issues since the work was completed with thousands of suburban trains zooming up and down daily, they added.
This is the first time that the Indian Army has constructed such bridges for the Indian Railways in a congested urban setup like Mumbai.
The construction process involved soil testing, designing the structure, construction launch of the Bailey Bridge and the final commissioning of the pre-cast bridges, called Bailey Bridges, which can be built quickly and are common in the country’s border regions or difficult terrain.
The FOB at Elphinstone Road is 73.1 metre long and 3.65 metre wide and was built at a cost of Rs 10.44 crore within 117 days.
The Currey Road FOB is 30 metre long and 3.5 metre wide, built at the CSMT end from the east side platform at a cost of around Rs 3 crore.
The Ambivali FOB connecting two platforms is 20 metre long and 3.5 metre wide, built at a cost of Rs 2.70 crore.
The three bridges shall be initially manned by the railway security and are expected to significantly ease commuter rush at all the three stations.
–IANS
qn/nir/bg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
