Marine Drive: BMC to replace old tetrapods

File photo

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to replace the tetrapods along Marine Drive. The new tetrapods will be effective for the next 100 years.
The BMC administration recently approved the proposal to replace old tetrapods at Marine Drive. As per the proposal, the old tetrapods were placed between 1960 and 1965, while some tetrapods were replaced between 1982 and 2002. The tetrapods were made of M20 grade cement and had a lifespan of around 40 years, which is complete.

Some tetrapods were damaged due to Cyclone Nisarga. There was also a need to remove some tetrapods due to the Coastal Road project. "It's not feasible to shift the tetrapods back in place. So we have decided to replace old ones as their lifespan has finished," said a civic official.

According to the proposal, the BMC is going to spend R43.61 crore on replacing the tetrapods. Replacing the tetrapods will completed by May 2025. "These tetrapods prevent soil erosion as they stop the waves from directly hitting the coast," the official said.

"The new tetrapods will serve for 100 years as we are now using high-grade materials. Previously, M20 grade cement was used, but the new tetrapods will be of M40 grade cement," he added.

During the work of the Coastal Road, tetrapods were removed along a 3 km stretch of along Marine Drive, which resulted in some parts of the iconic promenade being damaged due to waves. Restoration of the promenade was completed last year.

Two years ago, the residents of two buildings along Marine Drive felt vibrations in their apartments. They complained that the vibrations were caused by waves crashing into the coast. Subsequently, the BMC temporarily reinstalled the tetrapods near the buildings.

100 Years
Lifespan of M40 grade cement tetrapods