Mumbai: June deadline to fix and reopen Hughes Road

Workers dig a section of the stretch on Hughes Road that was damaged in last year’s mudslide, on Thursday. Pics/Ashish Raje

Repairs have started in earnest on a stretch of Hughes Road in South Mumbai that leads to Babulnath, which was damaged by a mudslide in September last year.

Torrential rain led to a mudslide adjacent to building No 5 at Khareghat Colony below the Doongerwadi hill area. A portion of the hill behind the building collapsed, and mud and debris came thundering down, severely damaging the road below. Motorists had to use the Tardeo artery due to the muddy mayhem. Earlier, in August, a landslide had severely damaged a part of Pedder Road.

Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner, D ward

On Thursday evening, corporators and senior BMC officials were at the site, signalling a start to the work on the stretch. Though the traffic is manageable now, the road needs to be fully opened as we negotiate the pandemic and more vehicles fill up our roads.

‘Soil strengthening on'
Corporator Jyotsna Mehta of the BJP said, "Soil strengthening is on and we are enthused that after waiting for the monsoon to peter out completely last year, floating tenders and formation of an expert committee, work has finally begun on this stretch which is a lifeline for Malabar Hill, Babulnath, Breach Candy, Pedder Road and Kemps Corner locals."

D ward Assistant Municipal Commissioner Prashant Gaikwad, who was at the site, said, "Work has started after studies by an IIT committee. We are also concentrating on the retaining wall, so that there are no cave-ins during torrential rain. We have a tentative timeline of mid-June to make the road fully operational."

Mayank J, the president of D ward Prabhag No 219, said, "The mudslide was a natural calamity and mammoth trees came crashing down to the wall, that gave way and slid down. The key now is enough strength for the retaining wall."

Advanced technology
A senior BMC official acceded that it was vital to stick to the timeline, given that by June end we will once again have the monsoon. "Our technology is much more advanced now. We have been working on design and inputs given by the IIT committee with an accent on stability and strength and with seismic design features incorporated into retaining structures," he finished.

June
Estimated deadline to reopen the stretch for traffic