A day after mudslide occurred near the Metro rail station at Magathane in Mumbai, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd clarified that it posed no risk to the Metro line-7 operations, and measures to ensure safety of passengers were being taken.
In a release issued this evening, the MMMOCL said that it carried out a joint inspection of the mudslide site next to Western Express Highway with the officials of the Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Due to continuous rain since the past few days, mudslide occurred at the excavation site adjacent to Magathane metro station on Sunday. Mudslides were reported even on Monday at the site when a couple of Poclain machines were working at the site.
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Photographs and videos of the mudslide next to the Dahisar-end exit gate of the metro station went viral on social media, prompting people to raise question marks over the safety of metro rail operations between Andheri east and Dahisar east. The MMMOCL, however, claimed that the incident has not affected the normal operations of the metro services.
During the inspection, they observed that due to a deep excavation carried out by a builder adjacent to a storm water drain chamber, near Entry Exit 2 of Magathane station, the collapse of the surrounding soil has damaged the chamber wall. "This has led to storm water flowing into the builder's excavation area, posing a potential risk of further collapse to the drain chamber and the foundation of the stairs and escalator," the release said.
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Continuous monitoring and necessary actions are being taken by the MMRDA and MMMOCL to address the situation effectively, the release said, adding that the BMC has issued a stop work notice and an FIR has been registered against the builder.
"To ensure the safety of passengers and the overall integrity of the metro system, a precautionary measure has been taken and the Dahisar side entry and exit of Magathane station on metro line-7 have been temporarily closed," the release stated.
MMRDA commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, who is also chairman and managing director of MMMOCL, said that after the joint inspection of three agencies, they have concluded that there is no risk to the operation of metro services.
"We are working closely with the BMC and the builder to implement remedial measures and ensure the safety and stability of the storm water drain chamber, as well as the foundation of the stairs and escalator at Magathane station," Mukherjee said.
The responsibility of carrying out the backfilling work at the excavation site lies with the builder, who is taking the necessary steps to complete this task, the MMMOCL said in the release.
Highlighting that the Storm Water Drain department of the BMC is actively making arrangements to bypass the storm water chamber and address the issue, the release said that also backfilling of the entire stretch to avoid risk of further mudslide.
