Key areas across south Mumbai including Oval Maidan, Mantralaya, Kemps Corner, Churchgate, Metro Cinema and Hutatma Chowk which are VIP footfall zones, have found themselves in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) list of flooding spots for this year.
With the number of flooding spots in the city seeing an increase by 10 per cent this year, these areas, which are not known to be flooded, were included in the list after the heavy waterlogging recorded on the first day of the monsoon outbreak last year. Several pockets in south Mumbai recorded 200 mm of rainfall within a 24 hour span.
A flooding spot is identified by analysing the waterlogging patterns of the previous year, based on which mitigation measures are implemented. Since these spots recorded heavy flooding last year, the officials added them to this year’s list.
According to BMC data, all these areas had recorded waterlogging only three times in the past 20 years – during the infamous July 26 deluge in 2006, the August 2020 rains and a heavy monsoon spell that took place during May last year as a result of an early monsoon arrival.
This year, the BMC has identified 496 flooding spots in Mumbai, which are low-lying areas that are very much likely to record a significant period of water logging during a moderate or heavy spell of rainfall. Last year, the number of flooding spots in Mumbai stood at 453.
“Every year new low lying flooding spots emerge. This is a common pattern that is directly associated with the change in land use system and overall natural drainage pattern. The south Mumbai areas have seen enormous construction work in the past few years that have led to the choking of drains because of silt and construction debris, due to which these places are now getting waterlogged following a heavy spell of rainfall within a short period of time,” a civic official said.
Around 150 such spots are located in the island city including the aforementioned areas. At present, 403 such spots have been tackled while the intervention measures for the remaining spots are being implemented, the official added.
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“As part of the intervention measure we have installed dewatering pumps in most of these areas. These pumps will channel out the accumulated rainfall water from these spots to the drains through which they will be discharged to the sea or natural water bodies via outfalls,” the official noted. The BMC is also removing floating waste and debris from the drains to allow smooth water flow.
Dewatering pumps at metro station
Civic officials said that they the BMC has also installed pumps in all the key metro stations which include the Marol Naka station, Acharya Atre chowk station (Worli) and Aarey. All the three stations are located in the Aqua line of Mumbai and the move came after last year’s experience when rainwater entered these metro stations affecting services and bringing the entire line into halt.
“Stations like Acharya Atre Chowk and Marol have slopes at the entry shafts, which causes water to run off from the surface easily. Therefore these high capacity pumps will not allow water to stagnate over there and will discharge them smoothly,” an official said.
Earlier on April 28, BMC commissioner, Ashwini Bhide said that this year all the dewatering pumps will be placed in the chronic flooding spots by May 5 as a precautionary measure against early monsoon onset.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
