Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday asked for details of the report on the Bandra-Worli sealink that states that it has developed leakages and cracks, a day after Hindustan Times published the report.
The government has decided to inquire into the matter.
“I have asked for
proper information on the issue and I’ll let you know as to what will be done,” Chavan told HT when asked what steps the state plans to take to ensure the safety of the 25,000 motorists who use the sealink every day.
Chavan has asked for details from the public works department and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.
In its September progress report, Dar Consultants, the project designers and consultants for the sealink, said there are
leaks on the surface and that the bitumen used to smoothen the road is cracking.
Both Deputy Chief Minister Chaggan Bhujbal, who heads the PWD, and Jaydutt Kshirsagar, the minister in charge of the MSRDC, said they will inquire into the matter.
Structural engineers are unanimous in their opinion that prolonged leakage would affect a construction’s structural
stability. “The bridge should not leak as subsequent corrosion can cause problems. But timely intervention can help
maintain its structural stability,” senior structural engineer Shirish Patel said.
Hindustan Construction Company, which has built the bridge, released a statement on Monday that said: “HCC categorically states that the sealink is structurally safe and sound and emphatically denies any crack in the bridge structure.”