Western Railway, IIT-B on track to avoid water-logging mess this year

Dredging and desilting of drains and nullahs is currently on

After last year's heavy water-logging in the Virar-Nallasopara section, the Western Railway and IIT Bombay have conducted a hydrographical survey of the region. This entails strong emphasis on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, the seabed and submerged obstructions in addition to a planned drone survey and placement of Automatic Rain-Gauge by the Indian Meteorological Department at six stations.

"The 2018 water-logging in Virar-Nallasopara area in 2018 had adversely affected train movement for several hours. In order to ascertain the constraints to free-flow of storm-water in this area, the Western Railway has undertaken dredging and desilting of drains and nullahs running parallel to the railway tracks and connecting to Vasai-Vaitarna creek. Work is nearly 60% complete and the remaining is targeted to be completed by May 30.

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Three new underground drains are being cleaned to facilitate flow of storm-water during monsoon and two of them will be completed by moth end," Western Railway's chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar said. In addition, the IMD is shortly going to install Automatic Rain-Gauge at six stations - Ram Mandir, Mahalaxmi, Bandra, Dahisar, Mira Road and Bhayander - for which necessary infrastructural support has been provided by WR. Through the equipment, it will be possible to do real time online monitoring of rainfall.

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He said WR has identified flood-prone tracks/yards on its suburban section and extra attention will be paid to these sections in Grant Road, Elphinstone Road, Dadar, Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra-Khar, Andheri-Jogeshwari and Vasai-Virar. "WR has installed 154 high-power pumps at low-lying locations in Marine Lines, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, Andheri, Borivali, Nalasopara and Virar," he added.

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