Encroachments remain problem over Parsik hills and railway tunnel Mumbai-Kalyan route

THANE: The settlements and encroachments over the Parsik hills and the railway tunnel Mumbai-Kalyan route remains a problem area for the railway and municipal agencies and threatens to affect smooth operations of train services during the oncoming monsoon, municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar said.

Bangar presented the points based on observations from experts during a joint meeting chaired by him to review pre-monsoon preparedness of agencies in Thane along with representatives of Thane Corporation, Central Railways and stakeholders. The bureaucrat pointed out how dense residential structures, trees located over and along the hills could pose problems for smooth trains operating on this stretch.

It may be recalled, the Kalwa-Mumbra and Parsik stretch is crucial for the Central Railway as it connects Mumbai with not just the distant suburbs but also several parts of the country. There are six lines passing through this stretch which have witnessed suspension of traffic at several occasions in the last few years due to various reasons including water logging, loose boulders and mud sliding off the hills onto the tracks among others. Accordingly, Bangar insisted the agencies involved take steps to avert similar situations.

“The hillslopes at Bhaskar nagar and Waghoba nagar in Kalwa east have started sinking due to the rampant encroachments on the land. Remedial action will be taken but only after the monsoon. Meanwhile, a team from railways and corporation will keep surveillance to avert and attend to any emergency in this stretch. There are around 72 trees between Kalwa and Mumbra whose branches could infringe on railway property and affect safe and smooth train passage in monsoon and have directed the garden department to take corrective action,” Bangar said.

The corporation was also directed to explore feasibility of constructing small underground drains at Naupada, Kopri which are prone to flooding during monsoon. The commissioner also directed his teams to ensure existing nullah, culverts and small drains cutting underneath the railway lines were cleaned properly at Mulund and Diva to ensure they remained free flowing and train operations didn’t suffer, informed an official present for the meeting.