Mumbai: Only 5% repair work left on retaining wall at Peddar Road

In what spells as good news for residents of Kemps Corner, only 5% repair work is pending on the retaining wall outside Hanging Garden. Around 11 months ago, the retaining wall on the hill slope had come crashing down after a massive landslide took place at N S Patkar Marg, well known as Peddar Road.

The BMC said that it is trying to complete the concretisation work of the retaining wall before another spell of rains lash the city.

While the vehicular movement was expected to be fully operational by June 10, the BMC was able to do so only by June 12. As soon as the part of the road where the retaining wall collapsed was secured and barricaded, the south-bound arm of N S Patkar Marg opened for traffic in September last year, but with diversions. The other arm was opened on June 12, BMC officials said.

The landslide near Kemps corner flyover took place on August 5, last year. Due to this, huge cracks developed on B G Kher Marg (Ridge Road) outside the iconic Hanging Garden. The retaining wall of the garden collapsed and damaged N S Patkar Marg below.

It took the BMC two months to float tenders to carry out repairs. After much delay, the tender was floated on October 12, 2020, following which a contractor was appointed. The estimated cost of the project is pegged at Rs 62.85 crore.

After the landslide, BMC had appointed a committee headed by IIT-Bombay professor D N Singh to come up with a solution to prevent further landslides here.

An audit of landslide described the mishap as a ‘global slip circular failure’. It's a massive thing and it was said that Inter mass was moved towards the retaining wall. “The retaining wall was distressed completely and we realised that mere strengthening of the wall wouldn't't have helped,” said Prashant Gaikwad, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of D ward (Malabar hill, Breach Candy, Nepeansea road).

The audit also pointed out that there was a huge movement of soil within a soil mass, a lot of cavities are formed. During the geotechnical investigation last year, a huge water loss was observed which indicated cavities and fractures in the soil mass

"The work of construction of retaining wall and stabilisation work is almost over and just final five per cent work of concretisation of the wall is left. This work would not hamper the vehicular movement hence we have reopened it for vehicular movement," added Gaikwad.