The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) 2020 plan to store excess rainwater within underground ponds has received responses from firms based out of Netherlands, Japan, and South Korea, reports say. The civic body drafted this plan so as to avoid flooding during peak monsoon season and high tide.
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Officials from the Storm Water Drain (SWD) Department said that a tender was floated to appoint consultants for the underground pond projects, with companies from the aforementioned countries expressing interest.
“We have shared details of flooding patterns and locations in the city during heavy rainfall with these firms. We are studying their responses for qualification. If all goes as per plan, it will take about five years to create such underground water tanks across the city,” a senior official from the SWD Department was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
When appointed, the consultants will have to study geographical conditions including rock and soil nature while also inspecting the existing stormwater drains in the city.
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The BMC has said that the consultancy will cost ₹34 crores. Officials have also reportedly pitched the idea of reusing water stored in the tanks for non-potable purposes or simply be disposed into the sea using pumps.
In 2020, the now ex Municipal Commissioner of the BMC, Praveen Pardeshi had greenlit the construction of an underground tunnel to store rainwater.
This tunnel was based on the flood tunnel in Tokyo, Japan. Further, the commissioner also managed to involve the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for funding. The BMC had allotted ₹5 crores in the budget towards this purpose back in February 2020.
Shortly after, the coronavirus pandemic halted pretty much every major infrastructure project across Maharashtra while also hampering the state and civic body’s pre-monsoon works in Mumbai.
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