Mumbai, Oct. 4 -- Built along a key artery of Mumbai's water supply system, the cycling track along the Tansa water pipeline ends in an anticlimactic letdown. Originally envisioned in 2017 by the Maharashtra government to stretch 36 km, encroachments and resultant court cases have reduced it to a mere 18.6 km-beginning in Mulund and ending in Bhandup, where it splits towards Sion and Sahar. For any cyclist using it, the ride is far from smooth, as the track is interspersed and interrupted by highways and railway crossings. Apart from uneven surfaces, residents have also said it is plagued by unauthorised encroachments, including debris, shanties and roadside vendors. As a result, the track is largely unused by cyclists. Now, after spending over Rs.500 crore to build the track, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants private companies to maintain it. Estimating that outsourcing maintenance will save it around Rs.4.5 crore a year, the civic body pivoted to seeking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for the upkeep of the track in January this year. However, the BMC did not receive any response from the companies it approached directly. So, in September, it decided to issue a call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from private firms willing to pitch in. This, essentially, is an effort to widen the pool of companies that might be interested. The deadline to respond to the EOI is October 15. "The shift is to attempt to reduce the BMC's expenditure," said an official from the civic body's hydraulic department, hinting that the order had come from the municipal commissioner. "While we haven't received any CSR offers yet, we hope that companies will come forward in return for the opportunity to advertise on it." The cycle track was built to prevent encroachment along the water mains, explained the official, referring to a Bombay High Court order that mandated the removal of 16,000 hutments to protect the water pipeline. "Half of the intended length could not be built due to slum encroachments, which approached the high court and got a stay. But in the parts where the track has been built, it has been successful in its intent." Not all Mumbaikars agree, with the track receiving mixed reviews. "The cycle track was primed for misuse," said Payal Shah, a citizen activist in Sion who has advocated for converting a patch of the track near Shanmukhananda Hall into a parking lot to accommodate visitors. "It is not continuous or level-in some cases, for more than 50 metres at a stretch-which makes it useless for cycling and even walking. It is broken in many parts by steps, slopes, road breaks, railway tracks, etc., so much so that pedestrians continue to walk on the road rather than the track. As it sits idle, it is misused: for gambling, drinking, dumping debris and garbage, hawking, and by the slums to dry clothes, etc."...