Excavator Operator Trapped in Palghar Water Project Collapse

An excavator operator was trapped after soil and wall structure collapsed at a water supply project site in Palghar, Maharashtra. The incident occurred during tunnel shaft excavation at the Surya water supply project. Rescue efforts by the National Disaster Response Force and local agencies are ongoing.

An excavator machine operator was trapped after the soil and wall structure collapsed at a water supply project site in Maharashtra's Palghar district adjoining Mumbai, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place at around 9 pm on Wednesday during the tunnel shaft excavation work at the Surya water supply project site in Sasun Navghar village, located around 50 km from Mumbai, they said, adding that efforts were on to rescue the person.

As the tunnel shaft excavation work was going on, the soil and wall structure collapsed on the excavator machine, trapping its operator under the debris, an official said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was engaged in the rescue operation with other local agencies, he added. The Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme is an initiative of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), envisioned to provide drinking water to the ever-increasing population in the MMR region, as per officials.

A treatment plant was set up and infrastructure built to supply treated water. Under this scheme, 403 MLD (million litres per day) water will be provided to areas under the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar municipal corporations, and nearby villages in and around Palghar district.

So far, lakhs residents of Vasai and Virar have benefitted from the project and in phase two, it will add to Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation's supply to aid lakhs of people, according to officials.