In a bizarre incident, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) that was being used to drilling at the Veravali-Powai-Ghatkopar water supply project, has been stuck for over a year in its own partially dug tunnel near Powai. As a result, the project has been stalled for over a year.
In order to prevent water theft and provide relief to residents dealing with low-pressure water supply, the BMC is constructing a 6.6-kilometre tunnel from Veravali to Ghatkopar to improve Mumbai’s old supply network.
The diameter of TBM is about 2.8 meters and its length is less than 50 meters. In the last one year, the civic body has approached several TBM experts in the country as well as across the world, including those in Germany, seeking help for the removal of the machine, but those efforts have not yielded any results.
Now, an expert committee has been formed by BMC under the chairmanship of a professor from IIT-Mumbai to decide on the further course of action.
According to reports, the BMC officials and members of the expert committee are set to meet next week, while the project would commence by the end of December, stated the officials.
Reportedly, the project was supposed to be completed in 2016. However, two extensions have been awarded to the contractor to finish the work. The municipal corporation officials said that the project has seen cost escalations.
India’s biggest TBM had arrived in the city in April for the coastal road project. The TBM, which is about 12.19 meter wide, will drill 3.4-km twin tunnels under Malabar Hill and Girgaon Chowpatty.
The BMC has successfully constructed water supply tunnels spanning more than 80 km in a bid to improve the city’s network, so far.
Currently, 18 TBMs are being used in Mumbai for various infrastructure projects such as Metro 3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz).
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