Mumbai: Disaster Management Authority Addresses Heavy Rainfall Impact, Plans Measures To Mitigate Future Waterlogging

Mumbai: Following heavy rainfall last Monday, several new areas experienced significant waterlogging, which persisted for an extended period. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) conducted a review of the situation on Thursday. They instructed civic officials to investigate the specific causes of the waterlogging in those areas and to implement immediate measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

The city experienced significant disruption due to exceptionally heavy rainfall on July 8, recording nearly 400 mm within 24 hours from Monday 2 am to Tuesday 2 am. This led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas, severely impacting road traffic. Additionally, unprecedented flooding was observed on the Bhandup-Nahur stretch, Chunabhati, and Mankhurd subway this monsoon. Efforts to drain rainwater from areas such as Bhandup, Kurla, and Chunabhatti faced delays.

Dr. Ashwini Joshi, additional municipal commissioner and chairperson of DDMA (city) and Dr. Amit Saini, additional commissioner and chairperson of DDMA (suburb), took a review of the situation at BMC headquarters on Thursday. The representatives of Mumbai Traffic police, Central and Western Railway, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, and the National Disaster Response force were also present at the meeting.

"It was identified that the construction of two new BMC bridges near Menon School and Usha Nagar Nullah created an afflux, impeding stormwater drainage and leading to track submergence. Over 200 services on the main line were canceled due to water accumulation between Bhandup and Nahur on Monday. Malfunctions were reported in the Chunnabhatti pumps deployed by the civic body, while railway pumps were inadequate in draining water from the railway area, causing further delays in water receding," said a senior civic official who attended the meeting.

Authorities instructed civic and railway officials to inspect affected areas and propose solutions. Additional dewatering pumps and vehicle-mounted pumps will be deployed as backups in chronic flooding spots citywide. Currently, the BMC has mobilized approximately 480 dewatering pumps across Mumbai.