Like every other year, failure to prune trees, fill potholes and desilt nullahs leads to flooding in various parts of the city; BMC claims it is prepared

The pre-monsoon showers may have brought a smile to the faces of Mumbaikars, but they have also brought to light the repeated failure of the BMC to live up to its job of filling up potholes, desilting nullahs and pruning trees before the arrival of the monsoons. Last year, the city did not receive any rain in the beginning of June, but this year, the early arrival of the pre monsoon showers has thrown the BMC's deadlines out of gear. As a consequence, Mumbai experienced flooding in Bandra, Dadar-Hindmata, Lower Parel, Andheri and Juhu, within the span of half an hour on Friday evening, which the BMC was unwilling to accept. The BMC's disaster management department is supposed to receive and attend to calls about the flooded areas and fallen trees.

The Corporation had begun pruning the city's on May 15 and pruned over 1,000 trees to avert mishaps like a branch falling on a vehicle or citizen. Suhas Karvande, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Gardens) said, "During the pre monsoon showers, the wind is strong, due to which branches and trees collapse, but we have stationed a vehicle and workers in every ward to pick up fallen branches as soon as possible."

Still, the heavy showers felled at least 52 trees in the city, of which 11 were in the city, seven in the eastern suburbs, and 34 in the western suburbs. An official from the disaster management team said, on condition of anonymity, "Branches of trees may have collapsed, which is not listed separately."

High tide days
This year, the city will see 27 high tide days (when the tide rises above 4.5 metres) from June to September. On June 15, high tides will occur at 12.08 pm, on June 16 at 12.53 pm, on June 17 at 1.36 pm and at 2.20 pm on June 18. August will witness tides of 4.55m to 4.78m on 3, 4, 5, 6, 16 and 31st. High tides over 4.5 metres, along with heavy rainfall could cause water logging in the city. During a high tide, the BMC closes the outlet of the drains leading to the sea, which creates a flood-like situation since drains choked with silt overflow as they cannot hold rainwater.