After incidents of water logging at some spots that disrupted railway services, the BMC has initiated efforts to address the issue ahead of the monsoon. Civic authorities have directed officials to install additional dewatering pumps at key flood-prone locations. The pumps will feature IoT-based sensors for real-time monitoring, allowing the Disaster Management Control Room to track their status instantly and ensure quicker and efficient response.
On July 7, 2024, heavy rainfall caused waterlogging in 100 areas across Mumbai, with dewatering pumps failing to pump out the water at some places, leading to inconvenience. The BMC has been taken efforts to address the issue and prevent water logging this monsoon. On Friday, Additional Muncipal commissioner (projects) Abhijeet Bangar conducted an inspection of several critical flood-prone areas, including the underpasses at Mankhurd–Maharashtra Nagar and Shell Colony in Chembur, the Tembe Bridge, Chandrodya Society on S.G. Barve Road near Kurla Junction, Chunabhatti railway station, and the Hindmata holding pond. He was accompanied by Chief Engineer (Storm Water Drains) Sridhar Chaudhary, along with other concerned officials and engineers.
Bangar instructed officials to conduct a hydraulic survey and implement drainage solutions to prevent waterlogging at Chunabhatti railway station, Mankhurd Maharashtra Nagar, and the Tembe Bridge. A mini pumping station with three 3,000 cubic meter/hour pumps is proposed for Mankhurd to address water accumulation. The tender process for the proposed work is ongoing. He instructed that rainwater accumulated at the Mankhurd underpass be directed westward, 800 meters via a pipeline to the creek. Additionally, the stormwater drain along the railway line at Maharashtra Nagar needs deepening and widening. The tender process for this work is expected to complete before the monsoon, with actual work commencing by October 1, and completed before the next monsoon.
The officials also inspected the Chandrodya Society at Kurla West that is prone to waterlogging during the monsoon. The intensity of water accumulation has increased in the past two years due to ongoing metro work in the area. A metro project pillar has been erected within the housing society's stormwater drain. To address this, a new parallel stormwater drain has been constructed alongside the old one, ensuring minimal disruption to the drainage system. The intensity of water accumulation in the Hindmata area has decreased due to the storage tank. Bangar directed the installation of flow meters on the tank to monitor water pumping rates. He emphasised ensuring uniform pump capacity across all seven pumps for better efficiency and effective operation of the pumping station. The flow meters will help track the amount of water being pumped, ensuring the station operates more effectively.
"While new waterlogging sites emerge annually, a study of traditional waterlogging areas can help implement short-term and long-term solutions. The aim is to reduce the intensity of water accumulation in such areas in the upcoming monsoon," said Bangar.
