The Bandra Skywalk - Skywalking to Stay Fit and Healthy

When I first heard the news of the completion of the Bandra skywalk project linking Bandra station to Bandra –kurla complex (BKC), I had a longing to walk on it. The opportunity came up this week, a month after it was open to the pedestrians.

The Bandra Skywalk is the first project to have been completed among the many such skywalk projects coming up all over Mumbai. It was built by the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) at an estimated cost of Rs 13.63 crore. The Bandra Skywalk is built 6 metres above ground level and is 4 metres wide. It is a 1.3 Km long stretch running parallel to the Slums near Bandra station, the Indian oil office and above the Western Express highway.

The idea of building skywalks is for quick thinning out of commuters from congested places like Railway stations, Bus stops, Taxi stands and shopping areas and off the roads which would help decongest the crowded areas.

In the past, people had to depend on the State-owned BEST buses for going from Bandra station to BKC. The long serpentine line at the bus stand for boarding the bus was a sheer waste of time. The Rickshaws had absolute monopoly on this route, taking one for a ride, choosing longer routes and fleecing the passengers. Now that the skywalk is in place, the commuters would be largely benefited.

The good news is that MMRDA is undertaking 50 such Skywalk projects in and round Mumbai at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore.

I am a tireless walker who covers a minimum of 2 to 3 Km daily stretch on the Mumbai footpath. I avoid boarding the BEST bus by skipping 3 to 5 bus stops. Whenever I visit my bank at Dadar, I walk up to Matunga which is about 2.5 km. Being at Matunga, not having hot filter coffee at the Udipi Hotel is akin to a religious person missing a visit to the local temple. When I visit the town, I cover the whole stretch from VT to Colaba by foot, I know it is daunting task and at the end of the day it drains you of whatever energy is left but the sheer exhilarating experience of walking is too tempting for me.

As a photographer, walking on the streets gives me more photo-opportunities. The positive side of walking is that it helps keeps me fit and healthy and avoid falling sick thus I save on medical bills which is a costly affair in city of Mumbai.

I avoid taking my vehicle except for going long distances with my family. When I look at people, especially the car owners and motorists using vehicles even if they have to walk to the next door grocery shop, I think they are doing a disservice to their health. Sadly we have not cultivated the habit of walking to the next-gen. I see many of the college-going guys reluctant to walk. There is no substitute to walking as one of the best antidote to stay fit and healthy.

The Skywalk has many advantage in terms of saving time and money. At the same time, in today’s bustling life of Mumbai it would give an opportunity to many who has no time to exercise and can sky walk. With many more such skywalks being built in Mumbai, I hope urban people would imbibe the culture of walking, like in the villages. The next time you skywalk think of the therapeutic services it does to your health in making you stay fit and healthy.

Happy Walking!