BMC spends Rs 13.5 crore to avoid waterlogging
De-watering pumps are being installed in various wards across the city
Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) struggles to complete de-silting of nullas before the monsoon sets in, it has identified 313 locations across the city where de-watering pumps will be installed to remove water during heavy rainfall. These pumps will be set up from May 25 till October 15.
The de-watering pumps are being rented from private contractors for this monsoon for a total cost of Rs 13.5 crore. BMC has already identified 66 chronic flooding spots in the city.
The wards where maximum de-watering pumps will be installed are F South and F North wards, G South and G North wards, H East and H West wards and L ward. A total of 100 de-watering pumps will be installed in these seven wards which have the maximum number of chronic water logging spots in the city. The areas includes Dadar, Mahim, Matunga, Sion, Lower Parel, Parel, Bandra, Khar, Santacruz Kurla and Sakinaka.
Following these areas, N ward (Ghatkopar), S ward (Bhandup), T ward (Mulund) and M East and M West wards (Mankhurd, Govandi and Chembur), and E ward (Byculla) will have high number of de-watering pumps installed, with an average of 14 pumps in each of these wards to prevent flooding. A-ward (Colaba-Churchgate) will have 12 pumps.
The de-watering pumps are operated even when half-a-feet water gets accumulated on road. "When there are heavy showers, water accumulates only at particular spots on the road, and not the whole road. Such spots are identified by wards and we set up pumps there. The pumps suck water from the spot and drains it out into a big drain hole, which is a minimum of 10 metres away. This way, water is drained out and flooding is avoided," said an official from the BMC's storm water drains department.
The BMC's Deputy Chief Engineer (Strom Water Drains), Pradeep Khedkar, "Installation of the pumps will begin from May 23. Operators will be on vigil 24/7 to operate the pumps whenever necessary".
...& ANALYSIS
- Water logging is a major problem in Mumbai each monsoon. De-watering pumps are the need of the hour to prevent water logging during heavy rains. However, for the de-watering pumps to be effective, the BMC must first ensure that de-silting work is completed at major nullahs where the pumps will empty out water. The BMC is yet to complete 37 per cent of this work on major nullahs.