14 July,2022 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
A Dharavi street turns into moon. Potholes on Sant Rohidas Marg, on Wednesday. Pic/Atul Kamble
Wadala, Sion, Matunga and King's Circle got flooded as it poured on Wednesday morning, however, the Hindmata area was unaffected, thanks to holding tanks and high-capacity water pumps. The city moved at a snail's pace, as the morning flooding delayed local trains and caused heavy traffic jams. The falling of trees and big branches, caused by strong wind, added to the traffic woes. The downpour also resulted in potholes, and the civic chief assured fixing them within 48 hours.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received 113 calls for collapse of trees or big branches through the day. Kurla LBS road was two-three feet under water, and the Andheri subway was closed for two hours after being submerged. The waterlogging intensified owing to a high tide of 4.68 metres around 11 am, but the intensity of rain decreased thereafter and the rainwater receded. The Andheri subway reopened around 11.15 am once the rainwater receded.
Also read: Mumbai monsoon: Lake levels highest in a decade
"The high-speed pumps dewatered King's Circle after the rain stopped. It took one hour to dewater the area; and Matunga and Sion police stations were blocked in the morning. The BMC spent crores on the project, but it works only when the rain stops. The city deserves a better solution," said Nikhil Desai, an activist and a resident of Matunga.
The incessant heavy rainfall slowed down traffic on roads to the south as well as the north, inconveniencing the office-goers. Motorists travelling via the arterial Western Express Highway, between Dahisar and Bandra, were also affected.
A passenger struggles to shut his umbrella on the bus, at Dadar TT, on Wednesday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
"Many motorists using the SV road stretch between Andheri and Milan Subway junction were stuck in south-bound traffic, as the Metro-2 B work is in progress between Vile Parle and Milan Subway junction on SV road," said Mukesh Waghela, a motorist.
Devanshi Haria, a commuter said, "There was a traffic jam on the north-bound stretch of WEH, between the Hub Mall and the Oberoi Mall, due to the potholes on the north-bound stretch of Aarey Milk Colony flyover."
There was half-feet of rainwater at Cadbury Junction in Haji Ali and in Marine Drive. "Whenever there is a heavy rainfall, water flows over a slope of Peddar Road upto Haji Ali junction. But it instantly recedes after the rain stops," said Prashant Gaikawad, assistant commissioner of D ward. North-bound traffic was also affected in the morning hours.
The city witnessed a large number of tree collapse incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to high-speed wind. Until Wednesday morning, 45 calls of tree collapse were received by the disaster control room of the BMC. Out of it, 14 were from the city, 11 from the eastern suburbs and 20 from the western suburbs. On Wednesday, 68 more calls were received, including 26 from the city, 17 from the eastern suburbs and 25 from the western suburbs. Trees collapsed at Saat Rasta- Mahalaxmi, outside Wadala station, on Marine Drive, halting traffic for a short duration.
Around 8.50 am on Wednesday, a landslide occurred behind Hiranandani hospital at Hari Om Nagar. A part of the retaining wall collapsed on one of the houses. The BMC vacated seven houses as a precautionary measure.
After starting the pothole yatra, BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha and former corporator Vinod Mishra met BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Wednesday and demanded that potholes be repaired within 48 hours.
The BMC has assured citizens they will repair potholes in 48 hours after receiving complaints. "But during the potholes yatra, we found that the civic authority is not fulfilling the promise," said Mishra. Kotecha demanded that the potholes be filled up within the next 48 hours. The civic chief has assured of that, he said.
"Despite heavy rain today and high tide in the morning, there was no disruption in the movement of local trains, and waterlogged areas were cleared through deployment of nearly 200 dewatering pumps. By the evening, there isn't any waterlogging," said the civic chief.
Local train services on all lines ran smoothly and there was no heavy waterlogging anywhere, though there were delays throug the day. Central Railway officials said local trains were running "norm-ally". A WR spokesperson said, "Western Railway has been able to run the services with minimum disruptions, despite heavy rains." There were reports of several breakdowns of BEST buses, but the services were not hampered.
- A Correspondent
68
No of calls for fallen trees, branches
