Mumbai : The BMC wards have been asked to quantify the water that had accumulated in each flooding spot in the city during the last 24 hours.
Additional municipal commissioner of eastern suburbs SVR Srinivas has asked all the 24 wards across the city to submit detailed reports on this within the next two days.
After facing flak from residents for its lack of preparedness in preventing flooding at sensitive points across the city, the BMC authorities have stepped up their efforts to prevent a similar situation in the next two months.
The wards have been also asked to identify the flooding spots in their jurisdiction, and compare these spots to the ones that were flooded in 2013.
After the wards submit their reports, the compiled study will be analysed by a consultant hired by the BMC and the civic body’s catchment engineers to devise a solution to the flooding problem.
“After individual reports are submitted by the ward, we will analyse the area and depth of flooding spots and identify the exact reasons why those specific spots were flooded. In any case, if the city receives more than 65mm of rainfall, flooding is likely to be there,” said Laxman Vhatkar, chief engineer, engineering services and projects, BMC.
Vhatkar explained that the flooding took place because of a host of other reasons. “People use storm water drains as garbage bins, as a result of which they get choked.”
A civic officer pointed out, “There is rampant theft of storm water drain nets, which leads to blocking of storm water drains.”
The cost of a single net is Rs 5,000 and that of a double net Rs 8,000.
Sachin Unhalekar
