Mumbai: Commuters Affected as BEST Diverts Routes 121, 138 and Others Following Pipeline Leak Near Mantralaya

Mumbai faced a significant civic emergency on Friday when a major water pipeline burst along Madam Cama Road, right opposite the Mantralaya building in Churchgate. The 600 mm pipeline developed a leakage that was first flagged at 11:30 am by A Ward Control. By 12:50 pm, officials confirmed that the Water Works Department had dispatched repair teams to the site to begin urgent restoration work. The sudden pipeline failure left parts of the city grappling with water supply issues while traffic in the area was immediately impacted, reported The Free Press Journal.

Civic officials revealed that the leak created a large cavity spanning nearly 40 metres on Madam Cama Road, raising fears of further road damage. To facilitate immediate repair and avoid any untoward incident, authorities shut down the water supply in the affected section. Assistant Engineer (Water Works), Ankita Dhopate, confirmed that restoration efforts were actively underway. Videos circulating online showed vehicles navigating through waterlogged stretches. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) quickly deployed barricades and diverted traffic to safeguard commuters and office-goers heading to Mantralaya and nearby business hubs, reported The Free Press Journal.

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To manage the disruption, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) administration introduced diversions for multiple bus routes that serve the Mantralaya zone. Buses operating on routes 121 and 138, which usually connect Backbay to Mantralaya, were rerouted via Rajguru Chowk, Barrister Rajni Patel Marg, Jamnalal Bajaj Marg, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road before heading eastward. These diversions aimed to minimize inconvenience for daily commuters and office staff working in the area, reported The Free Press Journal.

Additionally, buses running between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Mantralaya on routes 5, 8, 15, 82, 87, 89, and 126 were also impacted. Instead of their regular routes, these buses were instructed to take a right turn from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road to reach Mantralaya. Authorities confirmed that these route changes will remain in force until repair work concludes and engineers declare the damaged stretch of Madam Cama Road safe for traffic resumption, reported The Free Press Journal.