Mumbai Coastal Road Project: BMC To Install Dewatering Pumps To Avoid Waterlogging

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be implanting 25 high-powered dewatering pumps in multiple areas on the upcoming mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP). BMC has taken this step to avoid waterlogging on the new bridge being built.

The civic body has taken this step because recently when the heavy rains was pouring down in Mumbai, many areas enclosed to Marine Drive were waterlogged as a drainage outfall was blocked.

On July 27-28, the city had witnessed heavy rainfall. During this time, a stormwater outfall that drained water into the Arabian Sea got choked. The construction stones and slurry got deposited into drainage near Patan Jain Road, near Marine Drive, which led to waterlogging in the area.

The civic body had to use cranes to free the drain. After facing this water-logging issue, a team from Storm Water Drains (SWD) department visited the site of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. There they instructed MCRP officials to implant high-powered dewatering pumps in 25 locations after inspecting the site.

The officials said that most of the locations where new pumps will be installed are already undergoing drainage work. Officials also maintained that presently the width of the drains that are being constructed on the site of the coastal road is being increased to make sure the water flow is smooth enough.

"We'll be setting in dewatering pumps at a few places, like the area right next to the Taraporwala Aquarium on Charni Road. When it rains heavily, these powerful pumps will allow us to drain about 2,500 cubic meters of water," a government official said.

The official further stated that the municipal corporation is also working towards increasing the drainage network by a double margin. Presently, the carrying capacity of stormwater drains that are being constructed as a part of the MCRP stands at 1000 to 1200 mm. It will be increased from this length to 2000 mm and 2500 mm.

It is important to remember that the BMC announced in March this year that the final SWD works of the MCRP had begun and that the civic organization intended to complete them in five months.

The 10.58 km long MCRP, which will connect Marine Drive in south Mumbai with the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) through a combination of arterial roads, underground tunnels, and traffic interchanges, is being built by the BMC at a cost of INR 12213 crore.

For the selection of a contractor to complete the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), the BMC issued invitations for six bids. The second phase, which is estimated to cost INR 16621 crore, will be the project's longest arm and connect North Versova to Dahisar.

 P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner for Projects said, "We will start the construction work in November and hope to finish the project within the next four years. This is a national bid.

The second phase will be connecting North Versova and Dahisar via a series of double elevated roads, roads on slits, and tunnels.