Mumbai metro work stopped

The MMRDA deployed several dewatering pumps across the alignment to ensure no water remains accumulated within the barricades. (File Photo)

The day-long downpour that brought the city to its knees on Tuesday, also brought the construction of metro lines to a halt. However, according to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the downpour did not cause any damage to the work. “No untoward incidents were reported from our sites. We had stopped our construction work but our labourers were deployed to look into safety measures, like tying up barricades to ensure they do not fly away in the wind and switching off the power supply at the casting yard,” said a senior MMRDA official working with Metro 2A.

The MMRDA deployed several dewatering pumps across the alignment to ensure no water remains accumulated within the barricades. “We had at least four dewatering pumps in each of the packages. The work has resumed and in a day or two, the girder erection will also begin,” said a senior MMRDA official working on Metro 7.

However, a staff member working on the project revealed that during dewatering, a lot of muck flowed out of the barricade. “The muck had not been discarded for days. So when the water was pumped out, the muck also went out. Fortunately, no accidents were reported due to it,” he said. Responding to detailed questions sent to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), a spokesperson said: “Waterlogging was observed for few hours at some low-lying areas at our sites which was resolved by deploying adequate number of dewatering pumps.”