Piling work at pier locations P61 and P61A on the Elphinstone Bridge has faced temporary disruption after local residents raised safety concerns about nearby century-old buildings. As of Thursday, seven piles had been completed when around 50 residents intervened, fearing structural damage.
In response, the contractor engaged experts from VJTI to monitor the structural health of the surrounding buildings during the ongoing piling operations. The experts installed equipment to study vibration impacts using accelerometers, measure crack widths with crack gauges, and monitor tilts with tilt sensors. Residents were kept informed about these safety measures.
On Friday, officers from MMRDA, VJTI experts, project advisors, and residents conducted a joint inspection at the site. During the visit, the experts explained the monitoring process and outlined preventive measures. They advised the contractor to reduce the rig machine’s RPM while socketing in hard rock, minimise noise while removing mud from the auger, and continuously monitor vibrations during pile boring.
MMRDA officials confirmed that work will resume under close supervision to ensure the safety of surrounding structures while the project progresses.
Elphinstone residents in Mumbai protest again as heavy vibrations and structural damage intensifies
The ongoing demolition work at Elphinstone Bridge has sparked growing concern once again among residents of Parel, who allege that the constant use of heavy machinery is causing severe vibrations and structural distress to their already fragile buildings.
Since the demolition activity began, the residents have experienced shaking inside their houses and fear that their houses will collapse.
“Every day, once the work begins, our houses start shaking. When we asked the VJTI personnel, we found out that the machinery is outdated,” said Sriram Pawar, a resident of Samarth Niwas, one of the affected buildings.
“Our homes are shaking every few minutes. The vibrations from the machines are so strong that the plaster is falling off the walls,” said Naresh Yadav, another worried resident, adding that despite repeated complaints, no official assessment of the damage has been carried out so far.
Residents gathered at the demolition site and demanded immediate intervention from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is overseeing the bridge project. They urged authorities to either halt or modify the ongoing work to prevent further damage to surrounding structures.
“We have been told that the officials would halt the work and reduce the intensity and get VJTI experts to check the machinery. And then they would resume the work,” said Pawar.
“We have already been sidelined from the rehabilitation process. At least don`t play with our lives,” said Yadav.
