Mumbai: Leaks In Newly Opened Coastal Road Tunnel Weeks Before Monsoon, CM Shinde Reacts

Ahead of the monsoon season, several cracks and leaks have been found on the tunnels of the Mumbai Coastal Road. This comes almost two months after the inauguration of the passageway.

According to media reports, water was seen dripping from the roof of the tunnels on Monday evening and several dark spots were seen on the walls where paint had chipped off due to the dampness. Many visuals have also suggested that drip lines had formed till the floor, due to the dark spots.

Infact, water was also seen pooling on the coastal road, leading towards the Marine Drive-end of the tunnel, which is situated around 100 metres away from its exit.

Speaking about the cracks and leakages, chief engineer of the coastal road project, Girish Nikam said that the leaks have been going on since Sunday morning.

He further said that there is a dampness in the wall that has been coming through the construction joints and it is not known why exactly this is happening. “We are yet to check as traffic is on till 11 pm. We will be doing some grouting to arrest the leak,” the official added.

The project chief engineer also noted that these little leaks were expected because of the presence of the joints connecting the tunnel, however the exact reason needs to be figured out. Efforts were underway to stop the leak after it first appeared on Sunday morning. However, the leaks started increasing on Monday.

CM Shinde Reacts

Chief Minister Shinde proposed that polymer grouting will be applied to all 25 joints of the Mumbai Coastal Road tunnel, ensuring all joints of the functional arm are addressed, even though only a few are faulty.

On Monday, Project Head and Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Amit Saini, along with a team of experts from L&T, inspected the leaks. CM Shinde assured the media that a foolproof and permanent solution will be proposed with additional expert consultation to avoid future problems. He also claimed that traffic movement has not been affected due to the leakages.

An official involved in the tunnel’s construction mentioned that grouting had been used to make it waterproof, but additional grouting might be required pending a thorough inspection. Previously, on April 10, seawater had entered the Haji Ali Coastal Road pedestrian underpass during high tide, and measures were claimed to have been devised to prevent water accumulation.

The first phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road was inaugurated by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on March 11, 2024, to alleviate traffic congestion for Mumbai residents. This is the country’s first road constructed within the sea.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) executed the construction of the first phase. Previously, it took around 40 minutes for commuters to travel from Worli to Marine Drive.

Following the inauguration of the Coastal Road, this journey now takes only 9 to 10 minutes. However, the leakage in the tunnel, occurring just two weeks before the monsoon, has raised numerous concerns.

Former Cabinet Minister and Shiv Sena UBT leader Aditya Thackeray criticized the Shinde government and BMC on the microblogging website ‘X’.

He stated, “The Mumbai Coastal Road would have been fully completed and opened to citizens by December 2023 had the MVA been in government. However, after the corrupt regime toppled our regime, they slowed down the work and worked on cost escalation.”

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website