Rainwater receded faster in Mumbai’s flood-prone Hindmata, says BMC

From five hours last year, it has come down to two-three hours this time, it claimed in an affidavit filed in Bombay high court.

While hundreds were stranded in the heavy showers that flooded Hindmata last week, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed that there has been improvement in tackling the waterlogging situation at Hindmata, in Dadar.

Water-logging at Hindmata on July 9. (HT Photo)

In an affidavit filed in the high court (HC), BMC stated that till last year, it used to take more than five hours for the water to recede in the flood-prone area. This year, the water receded from Hindmata junction in just two to three hours. The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation filed by Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association after the death of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, who had slipped into an open manhole near Elphinstone Road while walking in waist-high water on August 29, 2017.

The civic body also claimed railway services ran “smoothly” this monsoon because it cleared 122 closed culverts on central, western and harbour lines, including a major one at Mahalaxmi station, in coordination with the Railways. It stated that the civic chief and the additional municipal commissioner held more than 15 meetings with railway officials to ensure “smooth” coordination. In a first, the de-silting work was carried out under supervision of video cameras installed inside the culverts.

It also installed two high-capacity dewatering pumps between Kurla, Sion and Matunga stations on the Central line. “This resulted in smooth operation of the railway services,” the affidavit claimed, notwithstanding the fact that last Monday and Tuesday, the services on all three suburban lines were disrupted.

BMC also told the court that it has identified 839 manholes in flood-prone areas which need to be safeguarded by iron grills and 710 manholes are already fitted with such grills. The remaining manholes will be fitted with iron grills by August-end.

While the city had witnessed a downpour leading to heavy waterlogging on August 29, 2017, 58-year-old Amrapurkar’s body was found near a municipal drain at Worli 36 hours later.