Sources said that over the years there have been lot of illegal slums and structures that have cropped up above this rail tunnel. “Earlier there were trees that now have been replaced by slums. We have built walls to prevent slums from coming near the tracks,” said a CR official.
Although regular demolition drives are carried out by civic bodies, the number of slums are growing upwards on top of the Parsik hill. Apart from the several toilet blocks there, the dwellers also throw garbage on rail tracks.
The officials also stated that during monsoon the water stream seeps through the cracked ceiling of this tunnel and has now weakened it. “It is like a waterfall inside the tunnel. The track on which fast trains pass is more affected,” said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh. The deforestation has added to the plight as soil erosion above the tunnel only created more leakages.
In June 2015, the Central Railway authorities completed power upgradation between Thane and Kalyan from 1,500 volt DC to 25,000 volt
AC. During this period the authorities not only lowered the tracks inside Parsik tunnel but also put speed restrictions for trains. The officials agreed that water leakages added to the problem for commuters who normally complain of getting wet from the seeping water inside the tunnel.
“On an average each train loses three minutes due to the speed restriction inside the tunnel,” said another CR official.
