Thane’s civic authority has opened a fresh drainage survey after local representatives alleged that Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train construction between Mhatardi and Betawade worsened monsoon waterlogging for farms and nearby homes.

Dark monsoon clouds over rain-soaked fields viewed during a Western Railway journey in India.
Monsoon clouds over rain-soaked fields viewed during a Western Railway journey; this archive photograph does not depict the current disruption. Photo: Vinayaraj / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Civic resolution leads to a site inspection

Shiv Sena corporators brought the issue before a Thane Municipal Corporation general body meeting. Former deputy mayor Ramakant Madhvi alleged that embankments and related corridor infrastructure had obstructed natural stormwater routes that previously carried rainwater into the adjoining creek.

Madhvi said fields remained waterlogged this year, causing losses to farmers. He also argued that project landfilling stands above some surrounding residential areas, leaving those settlements more exposed during heavy rain. Corporator Adesh Bhagat called for a technical assessment and mitigation measures before conditions became dangerous.

The general body passed a resolution seeking intervention. TMC officials and local representatives then inspected the Mhatardi–Betawade stretch on Wednesday, according to the report on the inspection and competing claims⁠.

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NHSRCL says drainage measures are in place

NHSRCL said it had conducted a joint inspection with TMC before the rains and had already implemented corrective measures. The project company rejected the suggestion that no drainage provision existed.

“Temporary waterlogging occurs during heavy rainfall. Once the rain subsides, accumulated water is designed to drain through a network of pipes and culverts at various locations in the region,” an NHSRCL spokesperson said.

TMC has now begun another survey to establish whether natural drains exist along the affected stretch. A civic official said the authority would recommend further corrective work if required and would seek to minimise flooding risks for residents.

Survey focuses on a local section of the corridor

The dispute concerns a defined local stretch within a much larger construction programme. An official NHSRCL construction update⁠ says the 135 km section from Shilphata to Zaroli crosses 95 villages and towns in Thane and Palghar districts. Of that distance, 124 km is planned on viaducts and bridges, including 11 steel bridges.

The current TMC review is limited to natural drainage around Mhatardi and Betawade rather than the engineering status of the entire 508 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor⁠.

No final determination of the flooding’s cause has been reported. The next material step is TMC’s survey and any corrective recommendations it produces, while NHSRCL maintains that its pipe-and-culvert network is designed to clear accumulated rainwater after heavy rainfall.

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