State asks BMC to develop app to monitor water-logged roads during monsoon

The application is expected to help motorists with information during the waterlogging on the city roads. Appasaheb Dhulaj, director, disaster management cell of the state government, wrote the letter to the BMC. HT has accessed the copy of the letter.

Mumbai: Taking a cue from the municipal corporation in Bengaluru, the state government has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to develop an application for the city to guide motorists to convenient roads to avoid water logging during monsoon. The application is expected to help motorists with information during the waterlogging on the city roads.

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Appasaheb Dhulaj, director, disaster management cell of the state government, wrote the letter to the BMC. HT has accessed the copy of the letter.

According to the officials from the cell, though the existing applications help motorists to assess the traffic jams on the roads, they do not provide information about the waterlogging. “The app dedicated to waterlogging during the monsoon will ensure not only the safety of the motorists and citizens but also will help the authorities to manage the jams on roads and highways. This will also help the authorities to re-route the public transports based on real-time information,” the officer said.

Another officer said that civic bodies in Bengaluru, which witness heavy rainfall like Mumbai, have developed a similar app and have proven very helpful to them.

The state government has also deputed 7,900 disaster volunteers (Apada Mitra) in 20 disaster-prone districts to work during disasters like flooding, landslide, and drowning. The volunteers will help the disaster management squads like NDRF and SDRF in such disasters.

“It is the first of its kind experiment in the state. The volunteers have been given preliminary training by the district disaster management authorities. The volunteers are in the age group of 18 to 40 years. They work when required, especially during the monsoon. Though we do not pay for their services, they have been covered with life insurance of ₹5 lakh for three years,” said the officer.

The 20 districts identified as disaster-prone include Mumbai, Raigad, Thane, Pune, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Gadchirloi among others.