Coastal road Control Centre in Breach Candy almost ready

An Integrated Command and Control Centre is set to enhance coastal road traffic management, monitoring air quality and emergencies, nearing completion.

MUMBAI: An Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) is nearing completion behind Tata Garden in Breach Candy to serve as the central control hub for the entire coastal road. A vital part of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), it will utilise information and communication technologies to manage and monitor traffic flow.

A file photo of the coastal road. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The Centre will gather data from sources like CCTV cameras, traffic sensors and weather stations to provide a real-time view of traffic conditions while also tracking air quality and the ventilation system. In addition, it will offer a backup during power outages.

The ground-plus-one building is crucial for the continuous monitoring of the coastal road and is strategically located for optimal technical efficiency. HT delved into the features, requirements and the purposes that it will serve.

The primary feature of the structure is to monitor the tunnel’s ventilation. “Air quality must be monitored, as gases emitted by vehicles exceed certain limits,” said a civic official from the BMC’s coastal road department. “As and when needed, the power of the ventilation fans will have to be increased.”

Another key function of the ICCC building is to monitor traffic movement during accidents or emergencies. “A quick response team is essential,” said the BMC official. “Monitoring will be conducted through CCTV, and messages will be relayed to the fire department and traffic police, with the feed also provided to the disaster control room.”

The official said that in the event of a power failure inside the tunnel, the battery backup would last for one hour, after which the system would switch to a generator. “This building will meet 60% of the tunnel’s requirements and will be located near the start of the tunnel and the existing Breach Candy Road,” he said.

The electric street lights on the coastal road will not require monitoring, as they will be manually switched on and off. Ventilation can be operated both manually and automatically through the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

The building will have two basements—Level 1 for the fire tank and water tank and Level 2 for the transformer and panel room, battery room and diesel generator room with Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport equipment. The basements will also house a sub-station, along with a battery backup, server room, and a SCADA system for real-time monitoring.

“There will be a video wall where the tunnel and entire coastal road will be monitored under CCTV surveillance,” said the civic official. “There is also an emergency room and a server room and toilet. There will be a lobby, pantry and dining area for 30 staffers who will be housed in this building. The structure will have glass cladding.”

Recently, the core members of the Breach Candy Residents’ Forum (BCRF) had expressed concerns about the building and went for a site inspection in December. “The structure was already built and we couldn’t object to it but we wanted to understand what it would do for the coastal road and how it would impact the neighbourhood,” said a member.

When the civic official was asked whether another location would have been suitable for the ICCC building, he explained that the present one was the most appropriate. “This building is like a mini disaster cell and it should be close to the tunnel, as the systems are complex,” he said. “It has been decided keeping in mind the technical feasibility. This kind of control room is also present in the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.”

Exactly behind Tata Garden, one can view this building construction nearing completion. The civil structure is ready, and installation is remaining. May 31 is the deadline for installation, after which the building will be fully operational.