Dewatering pumps push BMC spending up by Rs 20 cr as number of flooding spots grows

A proposal of post facto approval of cost escalation of the original contract will be tabled before the Standing Committee on Monday.

According to the proposal, while the contract cost of installing 279 dewatering pumps at various locations during monsoon was awarded for Rs 66 crore for a period of two years, the civic administration had to spend another Rs 20 crore on hiring the equipment. Dewatering pumps are used for clearing water logging in flooded areas by throwing out the accumulated water in nearest drains to speed up the water receding process.

For 2020 and 2021, the BMC had awarded a contract of Rs 66.38 crore for installation of 279 dewatering pumps. However, in 2020, 86 additional pumps and in 2021, 134 additional pumps had to be hired after local corporators and ward officers demanded them to tackle flooding.

“In these two years, Rs 20.60 crore had been spent on installation of additional 220 pumps. This was mainly due to the rise in flooding spots. There has been an increase in flooding spots because of new infrastructure projects coming up in the city. Also, in many areas, the change in geography due to new constructions and redevelopment was the contributing factor,” said a senior official from the Storm Water Drains department. With this, the initial cost had increased to Rs 86.89 crore.

As per the data, the increase in flooding spots was in areas like L ward (Kurla), P-south (Goregaon), H-east (Bandra), B ward (Mohammad Ali, Dongari), C ward (Chandanwadi, Bhuleshwar) and D ward (Malabar Hill). Maximum number of dewatering pumps (18) were installed in H-east (Bandra east) followed by L-ward (13) and P-north, Malad, 10.

Officials from the BMC said that there were 273 flooding spots in 2019, which increased to 386 in 2020 and 405 in 2021.