Mumbai: Mithi won’t flood the city with this fix

Desilting takes place in the Mithi river at Bandra Kurla Complex on April 30. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Mithi will not overflow during the monsoon if everything goes to plan. The BMC has decided to stop diverting excess water from Vihar lake into the river during the rainy season as the practice has been and which causes water levels to rise. BMC is now planning to divert the excess water to its Bhandup pumping station and purification plant.

The civic body is now planning to divert the excess water to its Bhandup purification station and purification plant and called for tenders to put the infrastructure in place. The evaluation process is underway and the project is expected to be completed two years from the day the work order is issued.

An official said, "If heavy rainfall occurs at the same time as high tide, excess water from Vihar lake will add to the river's load. This increases the risk of flooding in rivers. As the solution to this, after the lake overflows, the water will be brought to the Bhandup purification centre through a separate pipeline. This will help to reduce the load on the Mithi river."

A pumping station with a capacity of 200 million litres per day will be built, which will lift water from the lake after it overflows.

The official added, "Vihar lake mostly overflows after mid-July, which is the heavy phase of the monsoon. The Mithi crosses the danger level during this period." The estimated cost of the project is Rs 60 crore.

The dangers of the Mithi flooding came to the forefront during the 2005 floods.

"The water will be supplied to the city after treatment. This will help reduce the load on the Mithi river," said Purushottam Malvade, chief engineer of the BMC's hydraulic department.

Rs 60crore
Estimated cost of project