Central Railway gears up for monsoon, identifies locations prone to waterlogging

The 24 vulnerable locations identified on mainline include Masjid, Mazgaon yard, Byculla, Chinchpokli, Currey Road, Parel, Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Kurla, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, Mulund and on Harbour line are Sewri, Vadala, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Chunabhatti, Tilak Nagar etc.

CR General Manager Naresh Lalwani reviewed the monsoon preparations along with Additional General Manager Alok Singh. Rajnish Kumar Goyal, divisional railway manager, Mumbai division and principal head of the departments of civil engineering, electrical, and signalling, accompanied them.

The CR said it planned the desilting and cleaning of 118.48 km of drains in its suburban section. Work was completed on 102.39 km and the cleaning of another 16 km of drains was underway. The CR said it had cleaned 88 culverts on its suburban sections, and work was in progress on the cleaning of 17 more culverts. Culvert augmentation work by insertion of reinforcement cement concrete (RCC) box was done at Kurla-Trombay area, Chunabhatti, Wadala Road, Vidyavihar-LTT area and Tilak Nagar.

Besides, micro tunnelling was provided at eight locations, such as Masjid, Sandhurst Road, Dadar-Parel area, Matunga-Sion area, Kurla Car Shed, Tilak Nagar nullah, Diva and Kalva. Micro tunnelling work was underway at two new locations in Thane-Kalva and Kalva-Mumbra sections. Micro tunnelling is a technique under which the drains are connected with the nearby stormwater drain to ensure a fast and easy flow of rainwater from tracks.

The CR said it cut and trimmed 43 trees as part of monsoon preparedness. It set a target of cleaning and removal of 62,000 cubic metres of muck on main lines.

Before and after image of Kurla nallah. (Express Photo)

The CR Chief Public Relations Office informed that the 24X7 control room would keep close liaison with meteorological department, disaster management cell, and staff deputed at flood-prone areas for continuous monitoring and constant updates. The control office takes hourly monitoring of rainfall and water level above the track from field staff during the monsoon period.

Other Important works in progress

Lifting of tracks

47.8 km track lifting planned. It will be completed by next month.

Works in the Ghat section

-45 metres of tunnel portal

-300 metres of rockfall barrier

-500 square metres of boulder netting

-40 metres of Canadian fencing

-160 metres of stabilisation of banks

– Tunnel sounding at 18 locations

Pre-monsoon waterproof cable – almost 83 per cent work completed, the remaining to be completed in one week.

Provision of CCTVs and telephones at 31 static watchman huts in ghat sections.

Waterproof point motor machines at 277 locations.

Auxiliary warning system magnets sealing work for 1,506 locations will be completed this month. AWS automatically helps suburban local trains to avoid red signal crossing.

Installation of floodgates at Masjid, Byculla, Matunga and Sion-Kurla areas.

Bunter Bhavan nullah at LTT to be connected by removing encroachments.

Karve Nagar nullah improvement work to be done by MCGM and cost to be recovered from Ajmera builders.

Appointment of consultant for clearing concrete deposited below water mains at Priyadarshini, Chunabhatti.