After Bengaluru techie’s death in flooded underpass, here’s BMC’s solution for Mumbai subways

Andheri Subway:

The Andheri subway, located within 600 meters from Andheri station in the western suburbs, consistently gets flooded even after brief spells of rain. This subway serves as a primary link between Andheri East and West and is heavily used blly motorists and pedestrians due to its proximity to the railway station.

Each year between June and October, traffic police close off this subway as water levels rise past significantly. In the past, the water inside the subway has reached a depth of three feet.

To tackle the issue of water-logging, the BMC’s stormwater department plans to install six dewatering pumps inside the subway. These pumps, in addition to the existing two, will be placed in low-lying areas near the subway where water accumulates during heavy rainfall. The BMC has already initiated the process of installing these pumps and aims to have them operational before the monsoon season. Earlier, there was a proposal to establish a mini pumping station in the Andheri subway to address the water woes.

Milan Subway:

Situated between Santacruz and Khar in the western suburbs, the Milan subway also experiences water-logging during the monsoon season, albeit to a lesser extent than the Andheri subway. The subway is not regularly closed off for vehicular and pedestrian movement, except during heavy rainfall measuring 100 mm or more. Overflowing rainwater is often the result of nearby stormwater drains getting filled with debris and solid waste, reducing their carrying capacity.

To address this issue, the civic body has constructed an underground holding pond in a municipal garden located near the subway. During the rainy season, rainwater from the subway will be channeled into the holding pond through a rainwater channel. The pond has a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters (equivalent to three crore liters) and includes two submersible pumps capable of channeling 30 lakh liters of water per hour through the stormwater drains.

Milan Subway ROB near Vile Parle. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Khar Subway:

The Khar subway, located approximately 2 km away from the Milan Subway, has been plagued by water-logging for over three decades. This low-lying area underneath the suburban railway tracks experiences severe waterlogging, exacerbated by the discharge of accumulated rainwater from the tracks above.

Civic officials note that a long-term solution can only be achieved by installing drainage pipes above the tracks to channelise the rainwater effectively. Temporary measures such as installing dewatering pumps in and around the subway can help address the immediate issue, but a permanent solution hinges on proper drainage system implementation by the railways.