Heavy rain inundates purification complex, water supply in Mumbai disrupted

Water supply in most parts of Mumbai was disrupted on Sunday morning, as heavy rains inundated the Bhandup water purification complex, forcing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to shut down the water filtration plants at the complex’s purification centre

Water supply in most parts of Mumbai was disrupted on Sunday morning, as heavy rains inundated the Bhandup water purification complex, forcing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to shut down the water filtration plants at the complex’s purification centre. After draining out the logged water, cleaning the system and repairing technical faults throughout Sunday, BMC restarted the water supply to the city for the evening cycle on the same day. Mumbaiites will receive a municipal drinking water supply as usual on Monday morning. However, BMC has urged citizens to boil drinking water before use.

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Following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, rainwater entered the Bhandup complex, forcing BMC to shut down the water purification system and electric supply, as a precautionary measure.

Excess stormwater (rainwater) from the Bhandup complex drains into Vihar lake. Since the lake also overflowed on Sunday morning, it did not accept stormwater accumulated inside the complex. This logged water accumulated and inundated the complex building.

Ajay Rathore, chief engineer of BMC’s hydraulics department said, “Rainwater entered the purification system at the drinking water complex. We immediately shut down the system and switched off the power supply as a precaution. We then began draining the water, and cleaning the system.”

Following this, the Island city and the western suburbs did not receive the regular municipal drinking water supply on Sunday morning. Water supply to parts of the eastern suburbs was also affected.

In a statement on Sunday night, BMC said, “The rainwater that entered the Bhandup water complex was pumped out on a war footing and the filtration and pumping system was cleaned. Necessary repairs were made after inspecting the plant, and the pumps were started in phases. Soon after, the water level in Bhandup Main Reservoir started rising. Since then, water supply has been restored in many parts of the city, including the western suburbs and island city, since [Sunday] evening.”