To construct a retaining wall, conduct widening work and change the direction of the Irla nullah (storm water drain) in the western suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is slated to spend Rs17 crore.
During monsoon, the BMC had made the Irla pumping station functional to pump out water in Juhu, Vile Parle and other parts of the western suburbs to reduce flooding. However, Irla nullah - which is connected to the pumping station and helps drain storm water to Mithi River - was clogged, resulting in flooding in the Juhu area.
In June, the pumping station encountered a temporary problem, causing the machinery to shut down. As a result, water accumulated between Santa Cruz and Andheri could not be pumped out and the entire locality went under water.
The Irla pumping station, which is part of the Brihanmumbai Storm Water Disposal System (Brimstowad) project and was commissioned by the civic body last year, promised to solve the waterlogging woes of the area, but it did not seem to be successful on Friday.
Now, the BMC has realised that if the capacity of the pumping station is to be increased, the Irla nullah needs to be widened. A retaining wall around the nullah will prevent local residents from throwing garbage in.
The civic body recently cleared 500kg of garbage consisting of plastic bags, used clothes and tyres that had choked the cleaning machine at the Irla pumping station. The waste material was lodged in the automatic silt clearing system at the pumping station, temporarily blocking the device.
“There is no retaining wall between MV Road and Irla Society Road, so it is easy to throw garbage into the nullah,” said an official from the storm water drain department.
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