CR to lay modern drains below tracks

TO EASE FLOOD SITUATION Microtunnelling technique will avoid road and rail traffic

The Central Railways have planned to use modern technique of ‘microtunneling technology’ to lay drainage lines below the railway tracks without affecting the rail and road traffic.

This would be initiated by appointing professors from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) who would help in providing suggestions to solve drainage related problems on the railway line.

This new technology would help in laying the drainage line without digging the surface of land which leads to minor traffic on the road. It involves a digging method where smaller tunnels are constructed.

The idea first came up when the central railways along with civic body officials conducted a survey on the main line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Kalyan.

“During the survey, it was revealed that there were challenges to widen the culverts (structure from which water flows below the railway tracks) as they were not at the same level of the city drains. The existing method of digging and cleansing the drains on these stretches could affect the local train services,” said a senior central railway official.

The worker can perform the repair works and lay culverts without operating a block on this section which is otherwise taken during the conventional method of digging.

The central railways have identified at least 29 locations on the central railway line where drainage problems were alarming which causes waterlogging on tracks during monsoon. Out of these, at least 15 locations would be worked out in the first phase.

“Out of these 15 locations, the work on at least seven locations near the Kurla Trombay line have been initiated. The tender for this project work would be released

This new technology would help in laying the drainage line without digging the surface of land which leads to minor traffic on the road. It involves a digging method where smaller tunnels are constructed. The idea first came up when the central railways along with civic body officials conducted a survey on the main line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Kalyan

by end of January 2018. The new technology will be used to construct culverts on the remaining eight locations near Kurla, Currey Road and Mulund,” added the official.

The civic body would be conducting meetings with the professors from IIT Bombay before initiating the new technique on the railway line.