Thane Soil Collapse Traps Excavator Operator; NDRF Mobilized for Rescue
Thane, 30th May 2024: In Mumbai, a concerning incident unfolded near the Versova Creek bridge on Thane Ghodbunder Road junction, where an excavator operator working on the Surya water pipeline site is feared trapped following a soil cave-in on Wednesday night. Responding swiftly, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been deployed to the scene.
The soil collapse occurred around 9:30 pm during excavation work for the construction of the Master Balancing Reservoir (MBR) designed to store water. The incident resulted in heaps of soil burying the JCB machine and its operator, along with the collapse of a portable office container.
While some individuals in the vicinity of the container were successfully rescued, efforts to locate and extricate the trapped operator intensified. The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) fire brigade conducted an extensive search operation, with the NDRF team summoned in the early hours of Thursday to bolster rescue efforts.
The project in question forms a crucial component of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) bulk water supply scheme (403 mld) aimed at addressing the acute water scarcity plaguing the Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander regions, where water shortages reach up to 45%.
The initiative entails the extraction of raw water from Kawadas pickup weir downstream of the Surya dam, transporting it to the proposed Water Treatment Plant at Surya Nagar. Following treatment, the water will be conveyed via underground pipelines laid along the State Highway, Zilla Parishad Road, and National Highway 48 to reach the MBRs in Mira-Bhayander and VVMC situated at Ghodbunder, Chene, and Kashidkoper in Vasai.
