08 May,2017 08:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Laxman Singh
While BMC plans to deploy 313 de-watering pumps to tackle flooding, delayed nullah-cleaning work could put Mumbai in tough spot; help enlisted from NGO workers to start work pronto
With the monsoon over a month away, Mumbai's civic body is finally pulling up its socks, and creating an action plan for 66 locations, which are likely to experience flooding this year. The BMC recently prepared a list of chronic-flooding spots that could cause traffic nightmares for motorists.
Areas like PD'Mello Road, Mumbai Central, Hindmata, Dadar TT, King Circle in the island city, Juhu Tara Road, SV Road Junction in Santacruz, Marol Market in the western suburbs, and Kurla station, LBS Road, Ghatkopar's Chiragnagar in the eastern suburbs have been listed among the 66 flood-prone spots.
To tackle the flooding situation, the civic body has planned to deploy 313 de-watering pumps at these places. Besides these chronic flooding spots, the BMC has also identified 119 places that are likely to experience water-logging if rainfall exceeds 50 mm per hour.
A senior civic official from the storm water drain (SWD) department said, "The drains in the city have a maximum water receding capacity of 50 mm rainfall an hour. If Mumbai experiences rainfall of more than 50 mm, we are going to witness flooding. We will be able to eliminate some of these flooding spots when our two pumping stations, Gazdharband and Mahul Village, are ready." According to a source, these stations will only be ready in another two years.
Currently, the civic body has four pumping stations -- Love Grove and Cleveland in Worli, Britannia in Reay Road and Irla in Vile Parle -- that are aimed at increasing the water receding capacity of drains. However, these pumping stations have done little to resolve the flooding problem in the city.
Meanwhile, this year, the nullah-cleaning work has also taken a beating due to the civic body's inability to find contractors to transport the silt. As part of its preparations for the monsoon, the BMC is expected to clean 75 per cent of the nullahs before the rains, in order to prevent a flood-like situation.
However, despite sending out tenders thrice, the BMC hasn't been able to get contractors to carry out the job. So far, only 36 per cent of the nullahs have been cleaned. "We are taking the help of NGO workers for the cleaning of small drains. The contractors' negative approach has delayed the work," an official said.
