Heavy rains disrupt normal life in Mumbai cases of water-logging reported in several parts of the city.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) might have made strong claims about being ready for monsoon but the heavy downpour has already raised a question about the civic body’s preparations. Heavy rains might have provided the much needed relief for Mumbaikars but they had to undergo severe hardships due to waterlogging as rail and road traffic was disrupted. Thus crores of money spent by the civic body has gone down the drains.
Water-logging cases were reported in the city and suburbs including at the chronic flooding spots such as Hindmata, Sion, Milan Subway, Andheri Subway, Kurla, Sion, Subhash Nagar and RC Marg in Chembur as well as some other areas. Traffic jams had occurred on Western Express Highway due to water logging as people reached their offices late.
Due to heavy rain Malad and Andheri subway got flooded as people had to choose other routes for reaching their destination. Heavy rains brought misery for slum dwellers. Since the BMC had not carried out the work of desilting the drains effectively hence it remained choked as water entered slums.
The rains disrupted railway traffic as the water-logged tracks of central railway’s main line and harbour line hit services. Local trains on both lines were running late, due to which commuters suffered and reached their destination late.
The civic body’s disaster control room was flooded with complaints of water-logging and trees falling, from across the city. Official from BMC’s Control room said, “We had received many complaints of water logging and other problems. Our people had been rushed to the affected spot to flush out the waters.”
Mumbaikar’s were asking why the city life was paralysed after the first heavy rains?
Sudhir Pandey, a resident of Malad said, “The BMC had promised that the desilting work will be completed before monsoon but they failed to deliver. Where is the tax-payer’s hard earned money going? Why are we witnessing water logging on streets every year.”
Sunita Patil, a senior citizen a slum dweller from Kandivali said, “Water entered inside my house after the arrival of first heavy rain. Since the drainage was not cleaned properly by the civic body hence it resulted into water logging.”
While the city received 8.38 mm rainfall till 12 noon, the Eastern and Western Suburbs received 46.81 mm and 31.48 mm rainfall respectively until noon, according to the disaster cell of the civic body.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the city would receive a spell of heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours and heavy rain is expected throughout this week.
