Floodgates to prevent water from entering rail tracks and micro-tunnelling beneath the rail lines-- these are some of the works that the Central Railway will carry out in the coming days as part of their pre-monsoon works, which got delayed by more than a month owing to the third wave of Covid-19. The whole idea is to ensure that the Mithi River doesn’t hinder train running like it does every monsoon.
Earlier this week, Free Press Journal had reported about the micro-tunnelling works proposed at Kalwa-Mumbra crossing the newly laid 5-6 lines between Thane and Diva. “We will be installing floodgates at quite a few locations. We will also begin work of micro-tunnelling at areas that get waterlogged during monsoon from heavy rains,” said Shalabh Goel, Divisional Railway Manager (Mumbai), Central Railway.
The micro-tunnelling is expected at Kurla and Chunabhatti as well which is a saucer-like locale that gets waterlogged during the monsoon when it rains heavily. Sources said that they are working out details of issuing contracts to ensure that works begin in the next few days and end before monsoon season.
Similar work shall also be carried out between Kalwa and Mumbra where a 70 meters long drainage line will pass through using micro tunnelling running perpendicular to the rail tracks under the rail lines.
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This work is similar to the ones carried out at Masjid, Sandhurst Road and Hindmata which was needed to tackle the problem of waterlogging during incessant rains leading to disruption or slowdown in train services.
The micro tunnelling works is namely a trenchless solution for constructing small diameter tunnels used especially for projects that require the tunnel to cross under dense traffic roads, railways and rivers. Apart from this, floodgates too will be installed which is namely to control the flow of water.
When the floodgates are shut then it would ensure that water doesn’t flow within the rail premises and excess waterlogging can be avoided.
The Central Railway engineers said that they are going to install these floodgates at Kurla and Sion, to begin with, and areas that suffer due to deluge in Mithi River during heavy rains.
