Mumbai: The breakthrough of the 5.25km water tunnel between Wadala to Parel was completed on Friday. It was the second phase of the Amar Mahal-to-Parel underground water tunnel project. The tunnel will improve water supply to the areas of F-North (Matunga), F-South (Parel) as well as E (Byculla) and L (Kurla) wards till 2061. After New York, Mumbai is the second city in the world to have 100 km of water tunnels.
The tunnel is being dug in two phases; Amar Mahal to Wadala and Wadala to Parel. The 4.3km-long water tunnel in the first phase from Amar Mahal to Wadala was completed 4 months ahead of the scheduled period of 14 months in August 2022. The work on the second phase started in September 2022.
"The second phase of excavation was completed within the scheduled time, facing tough challenges such as massive groundwater seepage, frequently changing subsurface layers and rock fall in the tunnel. Around 74% of the total work is complete. We are confident the entire project will be operational within the scheduled time by April 2026," said a civic official.
Bhushan Gagrani, municipal commissioner said, "An uninterrupted and an adequate water supply is provided for the city due to excellent planning, efficient management and technical expertise. Water is brought to the city daily through water tunnels with a total length of 90 km. It has also helped to prevent leakage and water theft." He further appealed to the citizens to avoid waste of water and use it sparingly.
The BMC has set many new records in the construction of the first phase of the tunnel, like completion of an RCC lining of a 96.15-metre-deep well at Hedgewar Udyan in just 29 days; record digging of a 605m water tunnel in one month in January 2022 and successful excavation of a tunnel with a maximum length of 34.5m in one day despite facing various difficulties. This water tunnel is at a depth of about 100 to 110 meters and the diameter of the tunnel excavation is 3.2 meters.
