BMC cleans up storm water drains in Elphinstone area

Residents living in the vicinity of NM Joshi Marg, Senapati Bapat Marg, Gawde Chowk near Deepak Talkies in Elphinstone will heave a sigh of relief this monsoon. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recently completed the work of augmenting the capacity of storm water drains of the area that perennially finds its name in the list of flooding spots. 

To augment the capacity of water intake during monsoon, the civic body has cleaned and cleared the existing 700mm diameter storm water drain which was dysfunctional for past many years due to choked lines. “The drainage line which was choked with silt, has been cleaned and cleared for the water to pass and all the lines are functional now. This line is equipped to pump in 530 litres per second,” said a civic official. 

The storm water drain department has also laid a new drainage line of 600mm diameter next to the existing one. This will help in huge quantity of rain water intake. This drainage line has an intake capacity of 360litres per second during rains. 

Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar said that this area is low-lying and nothing can be done about it. “The only option was that the water should recede from the flooded roads soon. Hopefully, roads should not get flooded this year,” said Pednekar adding that NM Marg towards Lower Parel was the most difficult patch. Also, buses usually find it difficult to pass through flooded roads when it came from Elphinstone Road station to Deepak Talkies. All these problems are now addressed. 

Both the drainage lines will be connected to Love Grove Pumping station on Dr Annie Besant Road, which will help the rain water to not only recede faster but also it will be directly pumped out into the sea after screening.