Mumbai: After facing criticism over severe waterlogging during the season’s first monsoon showers, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani conducted a thorough review of the city's monsoon preparedness on Wednesday.
Taking officials to task, he issued strict directives: ensure all pumping stations are operational every two hours, clear accumulated debris within 24 hours, and complete all remaining desilting work within the next eight days.
The early monsoon exposed the BMC’s failure in preparedness, triggering sharp backlash from citizens and political parties alike. Under intense pressure, the civic chief convened a high-level review meeting at BMC headquarters on Wednesday, with additional commissioners Abhijeet Bangar, Bipin Sharma, and all assistant and deputy commissioners in attendance.
Gagrani warned officials that monsoon-related work must not slow down under any circumstances. He demanded immediate, effective improvements to existing plans and the swift implementation of necessary changes.
The failure of dewatering pumps and pumping stations caused severe waterlogging in several areas during Monday’s rain. Commissioner Gagrani stressed, “The deployment of mobile pumping systems must be completed within 24 hours, with thorough testing to ensure smooth operation. Coordinated follow-up at all levels is critical to meet this deadline.”
He also instructed assistant and deputy municipal commissioners to identify newly flooded spots in their wards and zones, visit them personally, and find effective remedial measures.
He instructed officials to ensure that flood control gates at dewatering centers like Haji Ali, Lovegrove, and Britannia are installed promptly and correctly. “They should be opened every two hours to ensure proper functioning, with status updates sent to the BMC’s Disaster Management Cell,” he added.
Gagrani instructed to complete the remaining road concreting quickly, and unfinished roads sealed with mastic to make them traffic-worthy. "Within 24 hours, all roadblocks, barricades, and related materials must be cleared and stored in warehouses. Under no circumstances should vehicles face any obstruction on the roads. Tree pruning work must also be completed on time," he warned the officials.
