Although the city anxiously awaits for good rains, the BMC took the preparations for a safe monsoon a step ahead. The civic body along with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will be installing protective nets in landslide-prone areas in Mumbai.
In a first, protective mesh using the geonetting technology is being installed at Hanuman Tekdi, Azad Nagar, in Ghatkopar on a pilot basis. Geonets serve as soil stabilisers, prevent erosion and ensure the safety of slopes and embankments.
Accompanied by BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inspected landslide-prone areas on Wednesday. During the visit, Shinde said, “We intend to make the city landslide-free by installing protective nets.” During the pre-monsoon survey, the civic body identified 74 landslide-prone areas. The usual practice is sending notices to inhabitants of the vulnerable spots and shifting them to safer locations.
However, people at times are not ready to leave their homes and need to be counselled and trained for emergencies. So, to ensure the safety of the residents, it was decided to protect the potentially dangerous areas with geonetting technology. Shinde instructed the civic officials to conduct surveys in 31 landslide-prone locations for a deeper understanding of the vulnerable areas.
A civic official said, “Using the geonetting technology, the MSRDC has installed steel nets at all landslide prone sites on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. Currently, the agency is installing protective nets in landslide prone areas in Ghatkopar. The BMC will provide funds for the work. Based on its results, the decision to install nets at other locations will be taken soon.”
The use of Swiss materials for bolting activities has also started at Hanuman Tekdi, covering an area of 2,500 sqm to stabilise slopes. Around 16 trained personnel are working in two shifts to complete the arduous task. Bolting is used to prevent stones from falling down due to the gush of water during monsoon. Drilling is being done to a depth of about eight meters into the stone. The work is expected to be completed in the next few months.
Highlights
As per the pre-monsoon survey, there are 104 dilapidated buildings in the city. However, the occupants of 63 structures, labelled unsafe for inhabitation, have moved court to challenge their eviction by the BMC. “To resolve the issue of dangerous buildings, a joint policy will be framed by the BMC, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and other agencies,” said Shinde.
