Mumbai's undersea tunnel reports seepage months after opening, Eknath Shinde assures 'poses no threat’

India's much famed first undersea tunnel in Maharashtra, linking Girgaon to Breach Candy's Priyadarshini Park, is showing evidence of seepage in less than three months of opening. The twin tunnels that run 17 to 20 meters below the sea level was opened to traffic on March 11 this year.

The water leakage which became visible on Sunday morning have triggered safety concerns ahead of monsoon season. Water was seen dripping from the tunnel’s roofs and walls at several places where paint had fallen due to humidity.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, today visited the spot. Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Shinde said, “Taking cognizance of the incident of water leakage that started on Mumbai Coastal Road, visited the place today and inspected it.”

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The Maharashtra Chief Minister said during the inspection, he found that water was coming from the connection of two joints in the coastal road tunnel.

Shinde said the water leakage “poses no threat to the original pavement of the coastal road.”

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“However, polymer injection grouting of 25 joints in the tunnel to stop the leakage will be done immediately. The leak was directed to be repaired immediately,” the chief minister added.

The chief minister who was accompanied by Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburbs Mangalprabhat Lodha, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Chief Consultant of Coastal Road and other major officials of the municipality, said passengers will not face any problems. There will be no water here during the rainy season.

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The Coastal Road, which cuts down the 45-minute commute from Girgaon to Worli to just 10 minutes, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Deputy, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, this year. The Maharashtra Chief Minister informed that the second phase of the coastal road will be opened by June 10.