Twitter
Advertisement

SWP pipelines beneath 4.5km Marine Drive stretch to be replaced in phases

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to replace the age-old drainage lines beneath the arterial road in Marine Drive in stretches. This, the corporation believes, will finally solve the problem of frequent road cave-ins on this stretch. The corporation has mooted this work even as it is carrying out the Rs 57.06cr job of resurfacing the 4.5-km stretch, which began this January.

Has the proposal been approved?
No. The proposal regarding replacing storm water drains beneath the busy road is expected to be discussed this week.

When will pipe replacement work begin?
BMC hopes to begin the work in October. However, laying new SWD pipelines does not mean building the road anew, the civic body has clarified.
Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte said the SWD pipelines at seven locations would be replaced. One of the drainage lines near Wilson College, where the road collapsed this April, will run parallel to the road alignment. The other six will pass perpendicular to the road and will have outfalls into the sea. Marine Drive is a busy road. SWD lines below the surface of the road have grown old. We will replace the SWD pipes even as we carry out beautification and improvement of Marine Drive, Kunte added.

Estimated cost of the work?
It's now estimated to cost Rs 7 crore.

Will the whole pipe network be replaced?
No. "The corporation is figuring out in which areas the storm water drain network needs attention. It's now making a priority list on which areas to be covered first. The Marine Drive has been given top priority. There is no plan to replace the entire SWD network beneath the road. Priority will be for locations requiring immediate attention," a senior BMC official said.

A long-term plan
"The proposed work will be carried out in phases. We need to get permission from the traffic dept to do the work during night time," additional municipal commissioner SVR Srinivas said.
Mayor Sunil Prabhu also said the plan was on the cards. "The storm water dept is working on a master plan to improve the drainage network in the city. We have instructed the municipal administration to carry out this work on the Marine Drive-stretch along with the beautification work."

Recent cave-ins on arterial road
April, 2014: A 1×1.5ft portion of the road caved-in near Wilson College. The problem was attended to immediately
August 2013: Major pipeline bust caused a huge cave-in affecting vehicular movement for nearly two days. The crater was around 30ft long and 10ft deep.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement