Rat attack on garbage piles weakens Parsik Hill in Thane

Mumbai: Over the last two monsoons, the degradation of the 1.316780-km rail tunnel running through Parsik Hill, in Thane, has become a matter of concern for government authorities. Two incidents of cave-ins were reported in that period and boulders often rolled down the hills, signaling loosening of soil. The reason: Rats -- their burrows have weakened the hill through which the 107-year-old rail tunnel passes.

After many rounds of inspections and discussions between teams from Central Railway (CR) and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), it emerged that rats were drawn by piles of garbage dumped on the hill. They also gnaw into the slopes, creating innumerable burrows.

Two weeks ago, TMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar inspected Parsik Hill and identified measures to stop rampant dumping of garbage. “We have started sending additional garbage collection vehicles across the hill so that waste is collected on time and dumping is reduced. Our team will begin sensitising residents against dumping waste in the open,” said Bangar, adding erring residents will be penalised.

A senior CR official said the weakening of the hill “is alarming for settlements”. At the joint discussions, CR authorities also emphasised the need to clear unauthorised slums in several parts of the hill.

The great wall of Parsik Hill

Encroachments on Parsik Hill and the railway tunnel on the Mumbai-Kalyan route are also a threat to the smooth operations of train services. CR officials said they have built retaining walls next to rail lines to prevent garbage and soil from collapsing on tracks.

“The retaining walls are 21 meters away from the tracks and eight meters high. This will protect the railway lines in case there is a landslide,” said another official from the CR.

Apart from rats, the two agencies have also agreed that the hill has become fragile over time also due to laying of concrete road and permitting heavy vehicular traffic. Railway engineers have suggested that TMC construct a retaining wall till the road surface to prevent garbage from being dumped on the hill slope. “Though the retaining wall built by the railways is sturdy to protect the rail line below, going by previous two road cave-in incidents a retaining wall by TMC is a further precautionary measure,” said a CR official.

Garbage dumping is often observed on the west (Waghoba Nagar) and east (Bhaskar Nagar) sides of the tunnel. A leaking unauthorised water pipeline above the railway’s retaining wall further endangers the hill’s condition.

Bangar said the civic body and the railways “will hold more discussions on the subject”, although for now, he hopes the railways will maintain it. TMC authorities said they are also drawing up a plan to rehabilitate the slum dwellers.

The Parsik people

In 1916, the Parsik tunnel shortened the distance between Thane and Kalyan and was declared the third longest in Asia. It connects Mumbai with rest of the country on the CR route but bears the burden of thousands of illegal settlements on hill top, above the tunnel.

“The state government and civic body are not doing enough to remove illegal slums from the Parsik Hill – the unauthorised hutments are slowing grabbing land above the new rail lines built by CR,” said Nandkumar Deshmukh, president, Thane Rail Pravasi Sanghatana.

There are six rail lines passing through this stretch which have witnessed suspension of traffic on several occasions in the last few years for various reasons – water logging, loose boulders and mud sliding off the hills onto the tracks, among others. The elevation of Parsik Tunnel is 45 meters above sea level with a width of 10 meters and height of 6 meters. Trains typically cross the tunnel in 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, the slum dwellers of Waghoba, Bhaskar and Anand Nagar – between the hill and tunnel – await better civic amenities. “If you closely look at the garbage you will find only rats around it. The place has become very unhygienic for us to stay but we have no choice,” said Sushila Chavhan, 45, a resident of Bhaskar Nagar.

Apart from homes, there are also four schools (two over the tunnel), temples and public toilets. Residents said although TMC has facilitated garbage collection from homes, people tend to throw waste outside their houses. “We know the risk of staying here but it’s a matter of survival. We cast our votes to the local representative and expect better facilities, which are not met,” said Pramod Yadav, 42, who has lived here since 1992.