'Lack of space, constructions to blame'

Rampant construction, lack of open space to contain floodwater, and poor drainage system — these are the three things the Central Railway (CR) is blaming for the flooding that disrupted services on Monday and Tuesday.

Rampant construction, lack of open space to contain floodwater, and poor drainage system — these are the three things the Central Railway (CR) is blaming for the flooding that disrupted services on Monday and Tuesday.

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As many as 350 trains were cancelled in the past two days and suburban services were running late due to flooding, which led to signal point failure. “As it rained during the high tide, the water didn’t flow back to the sea. The tracks got flooded and we were unable to run trains,” said Subodh Jain, general manager, CR.

The administration claimed massive construction activities, concretising of roads and lack of space were also responsible for the flooding. “Since 2005, the areas surrounding Kurla, Parel and Dharavi have undergone massive development. No space is left to hold or absorb the water that flows onto the tracks,” said Jain.

Also affected were the indicators and announcement system. “The two are integrated with the train management system, which is connected to the track circuit. When tracks flood, the circuit fails and therefore affects the TMS working,” said Jain.