India, Dec. 1 -- In a first-of-its-kind intervention on the Sahyadri range, Central Railway (CR) is preparing to slice open a portion of the flat plateau above the treacherous Karjat-Khopoli stretch to construct a network of deep drainage channels aimed at preventing monsoon-induced rockfalls.

Senior CR engineers, who inspected the site near Monkey Hill station on the Bhor Ghat earlier this month, are studying a plan to build two to three major drains- each around 600-800 metres long and 2-3 metres deep- on top of the plateau, which lies roughly 200 metres above track level. The plateau spans nearly 8-10 sq km, with railway lines on one side and tourist-frequented waterfalls on the other.

According to officials, this will likely be the ...