Traffic cops deny permission to dig sump pit, lay pipeline; officials decide to install 2 floodgates
The Andheri subway, which is prone to flooding during the monsoon, on May 7. File pic/Anurag Ahire
Work to increase the capacity of the Mogra nullah at the Andheri subway has been stalled due to traffic congestion linked to the delay in the construction of Gokhale bridge. Officials, however, claim that two floodgates, which are being fabricated at present, will help drain rainwater rapidly during the monsoon.
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Andheri subway is often closed to traffic during the rainy season as it is a chronic waterlogging point.
To tackle the issue, the BMC's stormwater department decided to create a sump pit upstream of the subway on the east side. “A 1,600-mm pipeline will also be laid from Andheri subway to Bhardawadi Road using the trenchless micro-tunnelling method,” said a BMC official.
The official explained how the method will work: “Stormwater will be collected in the sump pit and pumped out through this pipe with the help of high-capacity submersible pumps that will discharge in the main drain. The total cost of the project is Rs 35 crore.”
However, due to the Gokhale bridge work, civic officials have not received permission from the traffic police to carry out the work as traffic is mainly diverted through the subway in the wake of the closure of the east-west connector.
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However, the BMC has devised an alternative plan to ensure the subway is not shut to traffic even amid heavy rain.
An official said, “As a temporary measure, two submersible pumps will be installed at the subway. They can discharge 1,000 cubic metres of water per hour. Stormwater will be discharged from Andheri subway to the west side of SV Road."
Also, BMC has decided to install two floodgates along with the heavy-duty submersible pumps. “They will be capable of discharging 3,000 cubic metres of water per hour," the official said. The civic body aims to complete this project, which costs around Rs 5.77 crore, before June 15.
Rs 5.77crore
Cost of BMC’s alternative plan
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