Navi Mumbai: The ongoing construction of the pump house in Belapur, combined with early heavy rains and a high tide, caused severe flooding in sectors 4, 5, 6, and 11 on Monday. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is working round the clock to drain the accumulated water and restore normalcy.
"From late Sunday night until 8:30 AM Monday, the area recorded 72 mm of rainfall, followed by another 132 mm over the next eight hours. The low-lying sectors experienced significant waterlogging due to these conditions," said a NMMC official.
City Engineer Shirish Aradwad said that the work of pump house had started in the month of November after last year's monsoon and was due to finish by May end considering that the monsoon would start only after June 10.
"The unexpected early rains along with hightide caused the waterlogging as the pump house was not ready. The pump house is meant to drain water across the Belapur node. Till last year, the one being used was a very old one which Cidco had constructed and was in dilapidated condition," Aradwad said.
Following directives from NMMC Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, three 100 HP pumps were installed at the Sector 12 holding pond to expedite water drainage into the nearby creek on Monday night. The drainage channel was also widened with heavy machinery to improve outflow, and additional pumps were deployed.
Officials including Additional Commissioner Sunil Pawar, Deputy Commissioner Somnath Potre, Assistant Commissioner Dr. Amol Palwe, and Executive Engineer Madan Waghchaude closely monitored the efforts. The commissioner himself visited the site and instructed teams to continue working until the floodwaters are fully cleared and safety is ensured.
