Service road adjoining Bandra East nallah develops crack, caves in

A portion of the service road in Bandra East caved in after a massive crack developed on the road adjoining the nallah wall during the wee hours of Wednesday.

The incident took place at the service road running parallel to the northbound Western Express Highway in Kher Nagar, Bandra East.

According to locals, the crack developed around 1-2 am in the night. By early morning, a part of the service road opposite Employees Provident Fund office, and running adjacent to the nallah wall, had caved in and collapsed in the nallah.

Although the cracked portion stretches around 100 metres, only a part of it caved in. The remaining portion is cracked at several places, some over ten inches wide, and on the verge of collapsing.

Officials from BMC’s disaster cell arrived at the spot around 6 am for an inspection, following which barricades were put up and traffic movement was curtailed. No one was injured due to the incident.

According to a civic official present on the spot, the road might have developed a crack due to the impact of strong winds on nearby trees.

“The affected road has many trees, which sway violently during heavy rains and under strong winds. It is possible that the strong winds caused the tree’s roots, which extend a few feet under the ground, to weaken and loosen the soil under the road,” he said.

Locals, meanwhile, have expressed concern over the exposed nallah.

“The nallah is a breeding ground for insects, including mosquitos. We have already spoken to civic officials who arrived in the morning and urged them to cover the nallah at the earliest as it poses a major risk during monsoon. They have assured us of quick action,” said Ajinkya Kerkar, a local resident who stays less than 50 feet away from one of the exposed section of the nallah.

An official update from the civic body about the time it will take to rebuild the nallah wall and remake the road is awaited.