BMC plans underground tanks to prevent flooding

To prevent waterlogging in areas around Mithi river, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon construct underground silos to retain the excess rainwater

To prevent waterlogging in areas around Mithi river, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon construct underground silos to retain the excess rainwater that flows into the river. The plan got chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s approval on Thursday.

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Areas such as Bandra, Kurla and BKC, which witnessed flooding this monsoon after Mithi river overflowed, will benefit from the project.

The silos, which are likely to be located between Bhandup and Mulund, will be along the lines of underground water tanks, which are common in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, BMC is simultaneously also planning to divert the spillage from the Tulsi and Vehar lakes, housed inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), to the Bhandup water treatment plant and the Airoli creek via underground tunnels, so it does not overflow into Mithi river.

“We made a presentation to the chief minister on Thursday about constructing these underground tanks, and he gave an in-principle nod. He is very keen on it,” said Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner who is the project in-charge. Singhal recently visited the Japanese capital to study the design and functioning of such tanks.

The civic body has lined up meetings with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and between the Japanese and Indian governments to fast-track the project.

To divert Vehar and Tulsi lakes’ spillage to the Bhandup water treatment plant, BMC will appoint a consultant to submit a feasibility report after studying the geotechnical and topographical possibilities and limitations of the project. This project was also part of BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi’s three-point plan to reduce waterlogging in the suburbs.

While the storm water drains department will be working on the underground silos project, the hydraulic department will take charge of the water diversion project. Singhal, along with additional municipal commissioner Praveen Darade, in-charge of the hydraulics department, confirmed the two projects could be merged in the future to prevent overlap of work.