Mumbai will get flood relief at 31 spots by 2024, says BMC

Vehicles stuck in the flood waters at Gandhi Market, King’s Circle, in 2020. File pic

Flood relief measures at 31 flooding spots in the western suburbs will be completed by 2024. BMC has undertaken the work of remedies such as increasing drain capacity and constructing additional drains, it said.

In 2020, BMC had prepared a micro plan to tackle flood-prone areas in Mumbai. Under this micro plan, BMC has started working on the expansion of drains and construction of new drains. Also, the erection of floodgates and mini-pumping station is currently on. According to a BMC official, although work has not yet been completed, the work done so far at flooding spots will help drain rainwater more rapidly than in the previous years.

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"To give citizens more relief, we are installing dewatering pumps in flood-prone areas. This will help rainwater recede faster during heavy rain," said the official. According to data, some of the flood-prone areas in question are: Sahitya Sahwas (Kalanagar), Chandanwadi Nala (Bandra), Air India Road (Santacruz), Bhabha Hospital (Bandra), Jogeshwari Expressway, Khar Expressway, Teachers Colony (Andheri), Motilal Nagar (Goregaon), Nancy Colony, Shimpoli (Borivli).

Meanwhile, BMC claims it has tackled four chronic flooding spots in the western suburbs. At Goregaon Squatter Colony, BMC has increased the capacity of the stormwater drain by widening it from 600 millimetres to 1,500 millimetres. In Malad, Patkar wadi, BMC constructed a new stormwater drain and also widened the old drain from 600 millimetres to 1,200 millimetres. The width of the existing box drain at Santacruz station west was increased from 1.5 metres to 3 metres. BMC has also increased the width of the nullah at Andheri Cargo, Sahara Goan from 5 metres to 8 metres. The Akruli Kandivli flooding spot, too, has been treated.

Citizens will get relief from waterlogging in many areas, including the Andheri subway, said P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner.