Mumbai: The anti-flooding measures taken by the BMC brought much sought-after relief to the citizens. However, Andheri Subway was waterlogged several times, leading to closure of vehicular movement. To tackle the issue, the BMC has planned widening of drains at Andheri West but it will take almost two more years for people to get relief.
The civic body has undertaken work to widen Mogra nullah from SV Road to Veera Desai Road and divert it from the southside of a culvert on JP road to DN Nagar metro station. Another diversion work of the nullah will be at Veera Desai Road to Courtyard and RTO junctions till City Mall. The estimated cost of the project, which is expected to be completed in 18 months, is around Rs 100 crore. Also, a pumping station is proposed to be constructed on Mogra nullah at the estimated cost of Rs 393 crore and the expected time of construction is 20 months.
After the BMC's micro-planning and customised approach for preventing inundation at chronic spots, Hindmata, Gandhi market and Milan subway were flood-free this monsoon. But commuters taking the Andheri route bemoaned subway's closures as they faced annoying traffic jams. Dhaval Shah, an activist from Andheri, said, “The subway gets flooded almost in every monsoon. But the problem has increased in the last three years after the flow pass of the nullah next to the subway has been changed affecting the flow speed of drains. Also, the debris and garbage thrown in the nullah as well as encroachment upon it have decreased its capacity to flush rainwater. The BMC should speed up the work of Mogra nullah to give us relief.”
Similarly, one commuter Amit Desai said, “I regularly travel on this way, but in monsoon, it becomes very difficult since the subway is closed even in the light showers. If it's closed in peak hours, it becomes very inconvenient since we have to take a long route.”
Another commuter Karan Jotwani, who travels daily from Oshiwara to Marol, said, “Since highways are normally jammed at peak hours, I take the Andheri subway to reach my office. So, when it's waterlogged, we have to take the Gokhale bridge which is a complete mess in the morning as well as in the evening. The BMC should find some permanent solution to make the area flood-free.”
Meanwhile, BMC stormwater drains department chief engineer Ashok Mistri said, “We have undertaken work on widening of Mogra nullah. But the matter of the pumping station on the nullah is sub-judice.”
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