Mumbai Metro Safeguards Ensured Post-Water Seepage Incident

Mumbai: Water seepage at the Acharya Atre Chowk Metro station in Mumbai has been attributed to an unexpected event, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has clarified. Despite the incident, the MMRC assures that the underground Metro system remains safe.

In a video message on Tuesday night, MMRC Managing Director Ashwini Bhide stated that the incident posed no safety risk to the underground Metro. All standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed after the water intrusion was discovered on Monday morning.

The station, part of the 'Aqua Line' – the city's inaugural underground Metro corridor – experienced water entry at its concourse and platform levels. This occurred during heavy rainfall in central Mumbai's Worli Naka area.

Passenger safety concerns arose, leading to political debates. Describing it as an "infrequent" event, Bhide emphasized the 33-km underground Colaba-BKC-Aarey (JVLR) corridor is secure. She noted that the sudden downpour brought 90 mm of rain in just 90 minutes, which led to the issue.

Bhide reported that on the day of the incident, the corridor safely transported over 40,000 passengers, except at Acharya Atre Chowk, which temporarily halted operations. She assured that thorough precautionary measures are in place to prevent similar occurrences, and a new protection wall is being constructed.

The MMRC is committed to ensuring passenger safety and comfort, adhering to all standard protocols. Bhide explained that due to heavy rain and high tide, around 11 lakh litres of stormwater collected at an under-construction station entry-exit, which led to soil seepage into the station. She noted that no water reached the tunnels or tracks, and the train reversal area remained operational.

A flood protection system, including a bund wall, failed to contain the unprecedented water volume, resulting in the seepage. However, Bhide did not specify when operations at Acharya Atre Chowk would resume. MMRC spokesperson Vaidehi More expressed efforts to restore services promptly.

The 12.69-km first phase of the underground Metro, connecting Aarey Colony (JVLR) and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), launched on October 7, 2024, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The second phase, covering 9.77 km from BKC to Acharya Atre Chowk, began operations on May 10.

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