BMC Repairs Water Seepage in Mumbai Coastal Road Tunnel Near Priyadarshini Park
On Sunday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out emergency repairs after water seepage was reported in the northbound tunnel of the Mumbai Coastal Road, which carries traffic towards Bandra. The leakage was detected near Priyadarshini Park during a spell of heavy monsoon rain.
Motorists using the northbound tunnel, which runs from Marine Drive towards Bandra, first noticed water dripping from the tunnel wall. Following the reports, BMC maintenance teams rushed to the site to locate and address the issue.
Civic officials stated that the seepage was successfully plugged within hours. The maintenance team used pressure injection grouting, which is a standard waterproofing technique used for underground infrastructure, to resolve the leak. Officials maintained that only one seepage point was identified and repaired during the operation.
Importantly, the tunnel remained open to traffic throughout the emergency repair work. "The tunnel is structurally safe and is under continuous monitoring," a civic official confirmed following the completion of the repairs.
The twin tunnels were built at a cost of Rs 5,821 crore. They account for nearly 35 per cent of the overall Rs 16,621 crore Mumbai Coastal Road project.
BMC engineers explained that some seepage is not uncommon in underground tunnels built along the coastline, particularly during spells of intense rain when hydrostatic pressure rises. They added that limited water ingress through construction or expansion joints is permissible under international engineering standards and is addressed through routine maintenance.
The incident occurred as Mumbai’s transport infrastructure has come under strain from relentless rainfall. The heavy rains have led to road cave-ins, waterlogging, railway disruptions, and the partial collapse of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway missing link project, raising concerns over the resilience of newly built infrastructure.
This is the second reported instance of seepage since the Coastal Road tunnels first opened to traffic. Previously, in May 2024, water seeped through two expansion joints in the southbound tunnel soon after its inauguration, prompting the BMC to carry out similar repair work.
