BMC’s monsoon preparedness claim goes down the drain as Malad subway floods

It has become an annual affair. First, the civic body boasts about its rain preparedness, followed by the apparent hollowness of its claim. This year may not be different as one of dewatering pumps at Malad subway stopped working, leading to traffic diversion and water-logging.

These pumps are used to remove excess water from low-lying areas which are prone to flooding.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will send a notice to the contractor for not maintaining the pump, said Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner, in charge of storm water drains department. He added, “If any discrepancies are found, the contractor will also be fined.”

On Monday night, the city recorded 30 minutes and nearly 50 mm of rain.

Besides Malad subway, waterlogging was also reported at Hindamata, some parts of Dadar and Malabar hill, Gandhi market. The BMC said it had received eight complaints of waterlogging from Dharavi, Dadar TT circle, King’s Circle, and parts of Santacruz and Andheri (East).

Similar incident was also repeated last year in June when two of the six dewatering pumps in Matunga police station and Gandhi market stopped functioning owing to technical glitches, which left areas around Matunga waterlogged for over three hours. Following the glitches, civic chief Ajoy Mehta, in his monthly meeting, asked all 24 ward officers and deputy municipal commissioners to assure that the dewatering pumps were in working condition.

The BMC this year identified 298 locations across the city where dewatering pumps have been installed, most of them in island city (102), followed by western suburbs (100) and eastern suburbs (96). On Monday, there were 17 pumps working across the city. After the Central Railway requested the BMC, in addition to 298 locations, pumps were also installed opposite Swadeshi Mill, LBS Road, Kurla and Adhyapak storm water drain at Dharavi.

After Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said the BMC can’t be held responsible for waterlogging near Metro sites, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) also decided to install 241 de-watering pumps at metro sites where there is possibility of water logging.