An analysis of meteorological and civic data carried out by World Resources Institute (India) on the request of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) brought to light that over 35 per cent of Mumbai's population is estimated to be living within 250 metres of known chronic flooding hotspots. Further, under half of Mumbai's population has easy access to flood shelters, accounts cited.
The report also stated that almost 43 per cent of Mumbai's area in the BMC limits homes 75.9 per cent of the city's population in accordance with the 2011 census has access to a flood shelter within 1 km of walking distance. Moreover, during periods of heavy rainfall, a mere 46.5 per cent of the population are able to easily access them.
Based on a narrative by the Hindustan Times, the civic body operates an aggregate of 868 flood shelters in Mumbai. Of these, over half are around Byculla, Girgaum Chowpatty and Grant Road. Others are sparsely located in Bandra, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Mulund and Borivali.
The report adds that localities such as Deonar, Mahul, Kandivali East, Saki Vihar Road, Four Bungalows and Versova are certain underserved high-population density areas that don't have access to a flood shelter within 1 km.
It opined that a problem in Mumbai's flood management plan is the inaccessibility to flood shelters in wards where large population sections are exposed to chronic waterlogging.
The account cites that in the M/East ward where an estimated 2,75,491 people live at risk of chronic flooding is where informal housing settlements are the densest in the city. Herein a mere 13.3 per cent of the population have easy access to a flood shelter in cases of an extreme rain event.
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