BMC chiefs have changed over the years, excuse for city's flooding has not

A waterlogged Girgaon Chowpatty on Wednesday. Pics/ Bipin Kokate

A DAY after the city was battered by heavy rain and winds, civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal said that no city in the world can withstand such heavy rain. Chahal was speaking to the media after visiting N S Patkar Road on Thursday morning, where the heavy rain resulted in a landslide.

Malabar Hill received 357 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8 am on Thursday, with the highest wind speed of 67 kmph. The retaining wall of B G Kher road adjacent to N S Patkar Road near Babulnath temple collapsed around 11.30 pm on Wednesday. At least 50 trees on Patkar road fell due to gusty winds.

Iqbal Singh Chahal inspects the site where the retaining wall collapsed at Kemp's Corner

Chahal said, "Any rain above 65 mm in 24 hours is considered as heavy. Yesterday, the southern part of the city received around 300 mm of rain in just four hours. Even the wind speed was over 101 kmph. The situation was like a cyclone and no city in the world can withstand such a situation."

Iqbal Singh Chahal, civic chief

Chahal said he was in Mumbai during the floods of July 26, 2005 but even on that day, the southern part did not receive so much rain.

The wall collapse may have damaged four water pipelines located under N S Patkar Road, A K Road, Pedder Road, Sofiya lane, Carmichael Road, Raghoji Road, Forget Hill, Altamount Road.

"As a precautionary measure, vehicular traffic was stopped and the work of removing debris and trees is on with the help of Mumbai Fire Brigade. Water is being supplied through tankers to the area as water pipelines get damaged by landslides and cracked roads," said Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner, D ward. While the trees will be removed within a day or two, repairing the retaining wall will take several days.

Cracked roads may have damaged pipelines

"More than 10,000 houses and shops in Grant Road, Byculla, Parel, Dadar, Sion, Bhandup have been affected. The city gets flooded irrespective of the intensity of rain and the tide. The commissioner's claim of 113 per cent cleaning of nullahs didn't come to help the city," said Bhalchandra Shirsat, corporator from BJP.

Also Read: Mumbai Rains: Part of dilapidated building collapses in Mira-Bhayandar

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