Despite the BMC’s claim of having completed 99% of the nullah de-silting work, and 95% of its annual road repairs, the city was flooded during the pre-monsoon showers, thus making a mess of its monsoon preparedness claims. And as a result, traffic congestion and severe water-logging was reported at JVLR, King’s Circle, Dadar TT, Hindmata junction, Mahim and Parel TT areas.
Mumbai : The arrival of monsoon in the city seems to have washed away every claim made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Deaths, injuries and water-logging have made activists and citizens deeply suspicious of the Corporation’s claim that it was well-equipped to cope with any crisis during the monsoon.
As heavy rainfall on last Saturday marked the onset of monsoon for this year, water-logging and traffic congestions that was reported in some parts of the city has raised serious doubts among citizens, activists and public representatives over BMC’s preparedness.
“Although the work carried out by the BMC was better than before, but it is still not completely prepared to handle this year’s monsoon. It is nowhere close to how a metropolitan city should be,” said Hiren Joshi, a social activist.
Despite the BMC’s claim of having completed 99% of the nullah de-silting work, and 95% of its annual road repairs, the city was flooded during the pre-monsoon showers, thus making a mess of its monsoon preparedness claims.
And as a result, traffic congestion and severe water-logging was reported at JVLR, Kings Circle, Dadar TT, Dadar’s Hindmata junction, Mahim and Parel TT areas. The civic body claimed it had identified 146 flooding spots in the city and was working on a priority basis on controlling flooding at 55 of these spots.
“What are we talking about making Mumbai a mega city? We cannot even make water disappear in some hours. One monsoon and the city gets exposed to tatters,” said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, NGO Watchdog Foundation.
tragedies that could have been averted
Shockingly, despite facing criticism after the death of noted gastroenterologist Dr Deepak Amrapurkar last year, BMC hasn’t done anything about open manholes. Following the first spell of rain, a three-year-old died after drowning as he slipped into an open gutter in Chembur. Aadiyan Parvez Tamboli, 3, died after he did not see an open gutter in Cheeta Camp area in Chembur East during the showers.
Shahnawaz Shaikh, corporator of All India Majlis-e-Ittehaddul Muslimeen (AIMIM) from Cheeta Camp, filed an official complaint against the Assistant Commissioner of M/East Ward as well as maintenance and storm water drains department for dereliction of duty.
In another incident, a 13-year-old girl, Drushti Mungra, died after a coconut tree fell on her in Mumbai’s Dahisar area. The girl was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but declared dead on arrival.
Another 90-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her while she was resting under its shade near Banganga. The incident took place when Leelaben Sukhee was out for her evening walk on Walkeshwar-Banganga Road. She was living with her 85-year-old sister in Chatre Building off Banganga Road for the past many years.
