TMC will audit Metro rail route

THANE: Ducts will be built underground to lay cables for Metro rail in Thane.

There are numerous underground utilities on the Metro route and adding more cables can make travel unsafe.

ThaneMunicipalCorporation (TMC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) have decided to build ducts for Metro cables.

“I have ordered a detailed audit of the spots where many underground utilities are overlappingontheMetroroute,” said Sanjeev Jaiswal, TMC commissioner.

“Itisessentialtounderstandif there are hurdles like trees, electricity poles, wires and water pipelines on the stretch. Based onthis, wecanlookforsolutions. We have jointly decided to have underground ducts from Majiwada to Gaimukh areas. This will ensure safety of the cables,” he said.

He said that based on the audit report obstacles on Metro route will be relocated or removed. He also instructed all TMC officers to cooperate with MMRDA and ensure that ducts are built in time.

An MMRDA officer said, “To ensure that the obstacles are removed, alternatives need to be looked at. There could be changes in design also. This planning will take time and may delay the completion of the project.”

Astherearenumerousunderground utilities such as oil pipelines and sewerage pipeline on the Metro route, officials decided to come up with a solution to make the electric cables safer.

“When labourers were digging the ground for construction work, we found various spots where utility pipelines were overlapping,” said an MMRDA official.