Although a final decision is yet to be taken, senior BMC officials informed that the Deuskar committee's recommendations will be accepted without a hitch, as its estimated cost of repairs is less than half of that estimated by B&P.

The B&P had pegged costs for repairs for undoing damage caused while lining the tunnel, part of the Bombay Sewerage Disposal project, between Rs 69 and Rs 91 crore. The BMC, which found these estimates too expensive, appointed a new committee under Deuskar to verify the recommendations of the B&P report.

Said officials, the Deuskar committee in its report submitted last month has stated that the repair work will not cost more than Rs 33 crore. An official revealed that the six-member committee considered only one of the fouroptions suggested by B&P. After conducting a survey of the lining of the tunnel, the Deuskar committee was confident that there was no need to undo work and carry out a fresh job, as suggested by B&P in their other three options.

The official added that the administration as well as members of the Mayor-in-Council will accept the report of the Deuskar committee, on which the BMC spent Rs 10 lakh, as it is likely to save Rs 36 crore. ``Also, as the method involved in repairs of both the committees are the same, there is no reason why the B&P's suggestions should be accepted,'' added the official. As per both the committees' methods, there will be no damage caused to the tunnel for the next 50 years.

However, the BMC's decision to override B&P's recommendations may spark off a tussle with the World Bank (WB), which is funding construction on the tunnel. A rider of the agreement between the funding body and the BMC is that that WB-funded projects should have a foreign consultant.

However, officials areconfident that if the WB withdraws funding the tunnel construction, the corporation will manage from other sources. ``We cannot afford to be blackmailed by B&P just because it is a WB project,'' stated an official, adding ``We will approach MMRDA.'' The corporation, which has already spent over Rs 13 crore lining the tunnel, will now have to spend on repairing the lining. No costs for the damage have been recovered so far. A BMC probe is on to inquire whether civic officials were responsible for serious lapses while lining was being done. They are also in the process of seeking legal aid on whether a writ can be filed against the consultants for damage.