Mumbai rains: BMC steps up monsoon preparedness to prevent flooding in city

Ahead of Mumbai rains theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC is taking major steps to prevent waterlogging in floodprone areas of the city before the arrival of monsoon seasonSeveral lowlying areas in Mumbai witness waterlogging during heavy rainsBMCs Additional Municipal Commissioner Projects Abhijit Bangar carried out an inspection of lowlying areas in Mumbai and issued several key directives to the officials to ensure efficient stormwater drainage and flood management an official statement saidHe directed the BMC officials to work in coordination with the railway officialsBangar suggested to conduct a hydraulic survey and implement appropriate measures to improve water dischargeHe conducted a field inspection of several waterloggingprone locations in the city and eastern suburbs including the Mankhurd underpass Chemburs Shell Colony underpass Tembhi Bridge SG Barve Road near Chandrodya Society at Kurla Junction Chunabhatti railway station and the Hindmata rainwater holding pondBangar was accompanied by Chief Engineer Stormwater Drains Shridhar Chaudhary and other senior officialsThe statement said that specific measures are to be taken at the Mankhurd Maharashtra Nagar underpass to prevent flooding while systematic drainage planning is to be carried out in the Tembhi Bridge areaAt Hindmata pumping station the operation must be made more efficient with the installation of flow meters and standardisation of pump capacity across all seven pumps the official statement saidTo ensure faster rainwater drainage during monsoon additional pumping facilities are to be installed where necessary Internet of Things IoT based technology will be integrated with existing pumps to enable realtime monitoring through disaster management systems These sensors will help immediately detect whether pumps are operational or not the BMC saidIt said that as part of premonsoon preparations BMCrsquos Stormwater Drainage Department is actively carrying out various works the officials saidAt Chunabhatti Railway Station and surrounding areas to avoid water accumulation that disrupts train services on the Harbour Line BMC and railway officials have been instructed to carry out a detailed hydraulic survey Plans include setting up mini pumping stations and identifying alternative water discharge routes including possibly installing drainage lines beneath the railway tracks the civic body saidIt said that in Mankhurd Maharashtra Nagar Underpass the area which is prone to waterlogging as it is situated in a lowlying zone Bangar directed officials to complete road concreting work before the monsoon and to operate existing pumping stations more effectively A proposal for a new pumping station with highcapacity pumps and a holding tank is currently under tender the civic officials saidDuring his visit to Chembur Shell Colony and Tembhi Bridge area Bangar asked for changes in the pumping system including additional pumps and dedicated lines to discharge rainwater directly into the main sewer network to prevent backflowHindmata area which is known for chronic flooding now has underground storage tanks and seven pumps in place Bangar stated that there was a need for installing flow meters and ensuring uniform pump capacity for efficient operation during the rains in the city the civic body statement saidBangar also conducted a survey at the Chandrodya Society in Kurla East and other vulnerable spots in the area He reviewed the drainage systems allegedly impacted by construction of recent civic worksThe BMC is constructing new parallel stormwater drains to mitigate flooding caused by existing blockages in the area an official saidMeanwhile at several locations including Maharashtra Nagar drains alongside railway tracks and roads will be widened and deepenedatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params