Mumbai: Underground water holding tank at Milan subway will be functional from next week

Another underground water holding tank will give relief to the city in this monsoon, claimed the BMC officials. Till now 70 percent of work on the construction of an underground tank at Milan Subway has been completed. The tank will be ready by October 2022, but it can still hold water for a few hours, which will give the BMC officials some time to take measures.

Milan Subway at Santacruz is one of the chronic flood spots in the western suburbs which causes massive traffic jams during monsoon. To make the subway flood-free the BMC has earlier increased the width of the stormwater drain. In addition every year high capacity pumps are also installed to throw out the water accumulated in the subway. After an unsuccessful attempt, the civic body decided to construct an underground water holding tank like one in the Hindmata. Guardian Minister for Suburbs, Aditya Thackrey along with Additional municipal commissioner P. Velarasu visited the site to take a review of the work on Friday. "The water holding tank at Hindmata Parel, Gandhi market in Sion and Milan Subway will give relief from waterlogging in heavy rains this monsoon," assured Aditya Thackrey.

The tank with a capacity of 20,000 cubic metres is being constructed on the municipal ground in Andheri. The tank can hold up to 2 crore litres of flood water till it can be pumped out after high tides. The water from the subway will be channeled to the tank and then it will be pumped out into the stormwater drain. Two pumps with a capacity of 3000 cubic metres per hour will be commissioned so that the water can be pumped at a capacity of 6,000 cubic metres per hour, said the civic official.

The work on the water holding tank started on April 8 and had completed 70 percent of the work. The remaining work on the slab cover over the tank will be completed after this monsoon. But the tank can be put to use to store flood water by the end of July. The cost of the project is Rs. 33 crores.