Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’: Landslide halts ₹7,000 cr project just 2 months after launch; Cong calls for independent audit | Today’s news
Vehicular movement on the Pune-to-Mumbai section of the Khopoli-Kusgaon ‘Missing Link’ was diverted early on Monday after a landslide occurred near the exit of Tunnel 2 following heavy rains, officials said. The section was partially closed for several hours.
13 km, ₹6,695 crore Mumbai-Pune expressway missing link inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was commissioned about two months ago. It passes through the Sahyadri range and shortens the journey by about 6 km, reducing the journey time by around 25 to 30 minutes.
Congress chief spokesperson Anant Gadgil on Monday raised concerns over the safety of the Missing Link project of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and called for an independent audit of both the quality of its construction and the funds spent on it, according to PTI.
“Maharashtra government needs to make the details of the expenditure public. There should be an audit of the project by an independent agency to find out if there are any financial irregularities,” Gadgil mentioned.
According to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRDC), the diversion is in effect from 4 am as a precautionary measure to protect commuters. The MSRDC said it was continuously assessing the situation along with the Highway Traffic Police and urged motorists to avoid using the route unless their journey is essential.
A motorist traveling from Sangli in western Maharashtra to Mumbai told PTI that they were stuck near Lonavala since 4 am after authorities diverted Mumbai-bound traffic from the Missing Link.
“Since the Missing Link was closed for traffic, we came via Lonavala and now we are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the expressway on the stretch passing through Lonavala city,” he said.
What did the speaker of Congress say?
Gadgil, who is an architect, claimed that the concrete lining inside the tunnels built in the hilly terrain showed signs of defects. Referring to photos that surfaced on social media amid heavy rains in the region, he claimed the images pointed to possible structural problems.
He further claimed that the substandard or defective lining of the tunnel could give way during the monsoon as water seepage from the surrounding hills increases. Gadgil also claimed that unlike in Europe, where newly constructed tunnels undergo 10 to 12 months of testing and repairs before being opened to the public, the Maharashtra government launched the Missing Link project without conducting a proper safety assessment.
The Congress leader also alleged that several taxi drivers who ply the Mumbai-Pune route regularly
they avoided the missing link due to safety concerns. He further questioned the alignment of the project, arguing that a route with more natural openings should have been chosen.
Maharashtra’s new ‘link’: Fadnavis during project inauguration
When the project was inaugurated on May 1, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis hailed the Missing Link as the state’s new “link”. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation also pitched the project as a long-term solution to traffic congestion and accidents along the Ghat stretch.
At the time, MSRDC managing director Anilkumar Gaikwad said the project would make travel between Mumbai and Pune “faster and more reliable” by removing one of the highway’s busiest points.
