Another landslide on Mumbai-Pune Expressway hits traffic, one lane shut to remove debris

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A fresh landslide occurred on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Kamshet tunnel on Thursday night, affecting the movement of vehicles, an official told news agency PTI.

Vehicular traffic towards Mumbai was affected due to the landslide which took place at around 8 pm, he said.

Highway police personnel were on the spot and efforts were on to remove the debris on the busy 6-lane road, the official told PTI.

One of the three lanes towards Mumbai was closed to remove the debris and mud, he said.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, Mumbai-bound vehicular movement was shut for more than two hours near Adoshi tunnel due to a block (suspension of traffic) implemented to remove stones and boulders which had rolled down the hills.

The highway police blocked traffic on the Mumbai-bound arm of the busy carriageway from 12 noon till 2 pm. Vehicles were allowed on the road from 2.30 pm onwards.

On July 23, another landslide amid incessant rains near the Adoshi tunnel had disrupted traffic between the Talegaon-Urse section of the expressway.

The Borghat highway police and the Raigad police personnel rushed the spot and the debris was removed with the help of dumpers and earth-movers.

Two lanes of the Pune to Mumbai side were opened for traffic at around 2.30 am on Monday, the official said.

The third lane, which is adjacent to the hilly terrain, has still not been opened as there is a fear of more landslides, he said.

The highway police said they have decided to shut the Pune to Mumbai traffic on the expressway from 12 noon to 2 pm on Monday to remove the debris and heavy stones which may fall from the hills.

The 95-km expressway connecting the two major cities of Maharashtra - Mumbai and Pune - passes through the Sahyadri mountain ranges and is dotted with tunnels.

Meanwhile, heavy rains in Mumbai on Thursday resulted in water-logging in several areas, traffic jams on most arterial roads and delay in suburban train services of both Western and Central Railways, officials said.

For Friday, the IMD has issued a 'yellow' alert for Mumbai, predicting heavy rainfall at isolated places.

As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's rain data, the figure was 146.80 for Borivali West, 133 mm in Kandivali, both on the northern edge of the metropolis, while it was 103 mm in Colaba and 101 mm in Fort area at the southern tip.

(With inputs from PTI)