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Mumbai Lakes Inspire Tunneling Giants: Tulsi & Vihar Name TBMs
7 Jun
Summary
- Two TBMs for Goregaon Mulund Link Road project named Tulsi and Vihar.
- Tunnels will excavate beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
- The GMLR project connects Western and Eastern Express Highways.
Two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) destined to excavate the Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project's twin tunnels are slated to be named Tulsi and Vihar. This naming honors Mumbai's oldest man-made potable water reservoirs, located near the tunnel alignment.
The 6.65-km twin tunnels will run beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, connecting Goregaon's Western Express Highway to Mulund's Eastern Express Highway. This crucial segment is part of the larger 12.20-km GMLR project.
Historically, Vihar Lake was commissioned in 1860, and Tulsi Lake was planned in the early 1870s to meet Bombay's growing water demands. Today, Vihar supplies 90 million litres of water daily, and Tulsi provides 18 MLD.
Engineers are currently assembling the TBMs at the Goregaon launch shaft. Despite minor delays, the TBMs are expected to commence boring operations soon. This naming convention follows BMC's tradition of honoring significant city heritage with its major infrastructure projects.
