No waterlogging in Mumbai this monsoon, claims BMC

While the monsoon is yet to officially hit the city, several areas witnessed water-logging and long traffic jams last month caused even during the pre-monsoon showers. There was massive water-logging last month when Cyclone Tauktae had rocked the state. 

As a result, Mumbaikars raised concerns about the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s pre-monsoon preparations and whether Mumbai is prepared for the coming monsoon?

However, commenting on the same, the BMC’s additional commissioner Suresh Kakani said that the work on the floodplain is in its final stages. He also claimed that this monsoon the city will not witness such waterlogging like previous years.

As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon might arrive in Mumbai from June 11. Accordingly, the civic body has planned to complete its pre-monsoon preparations this year. The officials have assured that the work of cleaning nullahs will be finished before the monsoon begins.

For the Mithi river and major nullahs, 89 per cent pre-monsoon silt has been removed till May 28. According to BMC, the cleaning and desilting of major nullahs alone in the city has been completed up to 68 per cent. As per the norms, before monsoon hits the city, the BMC is supposed to finish at least 75 per cent of nullah desilting and cleaning, 10 per cent during monsoon and the remaining 15 per cent after the monsoon.

To mitigate flooding triggered by heavy rainfall, the BMC is constructing underground rainwater storage tanks at the junction.

According to the civic body, these large underground water tanks have a holding capacity of at least three hours. To mitigate flooding triggered by heavy rainfall, the BMC is constructing underground rainwater storage tanks at the junction.

Moreover, the underground rainwater storage tanks at Hindmata, which is the perpetual waterlogged location of Mumbai, is being constructed as a pilot project and is in their final stage. However, depending on its efficacy as a monsoon flood-prevention measure, the plan would then be executed in other areas, BMC officials said.