Bullet train's first hurdle: BMC demands Rs 2 lakh for each borehole dug for project

The construction of the track for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is facing an unexpected hurdle from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC), which is demanding Rs two lakh per borehole dug for site investigation to be paid as security deposit. There are 14 locations under BMC’s jurisdiction at which boreholes need to be dug for soil testing.

Sources noted that the BMC’s demand was quite high. Comparatively, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) granted permission to RITES Ltd. (the state-run consultant for transport and infrastructure technology which proposed the geo-technical survey) for Rs 50,000 per borehole and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) took an undertaking. This paper has a copy of the letter sent by the BMC’s Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic) to RITES Ltd.

Soil exploration is a part of site investigation and it determines the suitability of the site for the proposed construction. This helps to ensure the appropriate safety measures.

“Soil testing needs to be done at 750 locations along the 508-km-long project. We have completed 250 already. For the proposed 21-km tunnel, a crucial part of the project, we had to collect samples from 62 locations falling under the jurisdictions of NMMC, TMC and BMC, of which only BMC is left to complete,” said a senior RITES official.

Except for the tunnel, a large part of the 508-km-long corridor is proposed to be on elevated track. This was necessary to protect the thick vegetation in the area.

Despite Mumbai Mirror’s repeated attempts, Sanjay Darade, BMC’s Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic), was unavailable for comment.