Day after cyclone: Water logging in Mumbai after heavy rains

Angry Mumbaikars posted photographs and videos on social media and accused the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities of their lack of preparedness to prevent waterlogging.

Heavy showers and strong winds lashed Mumbai on Thursday morning a day after cyclone Nisarga brushed past the country’s financial hub and made landfall at Alibag in Maharashtra’s Raigad district the previous afternoon.

The BMC authorities had planned to complete the work at 45 waterlogging spots in Mumbai before the onset of monsoon, but it got delayed because of the unavailability of an adequate workforce due to lockdown restrictions. (HT photo/ Rahul Raut)

Severe waterlogging is reported across Mumbai such as LBS Road in Kurla, Goregaon, Andheri, Sion, Chembur, Goregaon and Bhandup. Dr. BA Ambedkar Road in King’s Circle is under knee-deep water, photographs, and videos circulating on social media showed.

Angry Mumbaikars posted photographs and videos on social media and accused the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities of their lack of preparedness to prevent waterlogging.

BJP leader and lawyer Vivekanand Gupta tweeted, “Few minutes of rain and waterlogging already on LBS near R-City Mall and Bhandup. @ShivSena ruled BMC. What work did the BMC contractors carried out? Nalla safai kidhar hai (where is the de-silting of drains?). Same scene every year.”

Earlier, the civic authorities had identified 69 waterlogging spots in the city ahead of the onset of monsoon, but their preparedness was disrupted because of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, which led to lockdown restrictions from end-March.

The BMC authorities had planned to complete the work at 45 waterlogging spots in Mumbai before the onset of monsoon, but it got delayed because of the unavailability of an adequate workforce due to lockdown restrictions.