As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, the landslide at Malabar Hill could have been in part due to the lack of a stormwater drain under a large section of the BG Kher Road. Officials added that since there was no dedicated drain, rainwater accumulated over the years and led to the weakening of the retaining wall on the hill slope.
Additionally, BMC’s road department has specified that the stormwater drain stretches from the Hydraulic Engineers Bungalow to the Kamala Nehru Park, adding that there are no drains beyond this until Kemps Corner. Officials have previously said that the landslide has damaged around 220 metres of the NS Patkar Road.
“In this stretch rainwater used to flow on the surface till Kemps Corner junction. In last so many years this has caused the gradual deterioration of the road and retaining wall. While reconstructing the road, we will ensure the construction of a stormwater drain on this stretch,” an official from the civic body’s roads department said.
Read - Hanging Gardens Landslide Shuts Road On Malabar Hills For 3 Months
The recent landslide at Malabar Hill also led to the closure of NS Patkar and BG Kher Road as the authorities are clearing out debris. An IIT-Bombay team visited the site following the landslide and recommended both roads to be partially closed for at least six months.
BMC officials have previously asked the authorities to open at least part of the road for one side of the traffic, with the IIT-Bombay team saying that it is looking at the possibility of safely reopening traffic on the southern side of NS Patkar Road.
The officials are currently waiting for IIT-Bombay’s report which is expected to be submitted by the coming week. The report will consist of plans to reconstruct the region, open the traffic, and also assess the overall damage done to the hill as a consequence of the landslide.
Also read - Officials Say The Malabar Hill Landslide May Have Been Preventable Had The BMC Acted In 2019
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