The Public Works Department (PWD) officials have said that the repair work on the Pragati Maidan tunnel to address seepage, water leakage and drainage issues has been finished, The Indian Express reported. This comes two months after the structure was marked as a “potential threat” to the public.
Now, the officials said, commuters can hope to witness waterlogging-free travel inside the tunnel.
Issues with the tunnel
The tunnel was constructed as a part of the Pragati Maidan corridor redevelopment project. However, it started seeing water leakage and seepage on its walls and roofs shortly after its inauguration in 2022. Last year, the tunnel had to be shut down for more than a month due to waterlogging issues.
Due to major issues like water leakage on walls and roofs, some parts of the tunnel were barricaded. “ Now, the repairing and grouting work has been successfully completed and the problems have been fixed. Drainage slabs on the side of the tunnel, which were removed during repairing, have also been re-installed,” an official said.
The PWD established a five-member expert committee last month to assess the methodology used to address water leakage problems in the primary Pragati Maidan tunnel.
Post this, the repair work commenced on March 20 and the tunnel was closed for three days, and then after midnight daily. In February, the PWD labeled the tunnel as a “potential hazard to passenger safety” and issued a notice to L&T, citing “flaws and design deficiencies”. Additionally, it demanded that L&T, the project executor, pay a fine of Rs 500 crore.