Mumbai, May 25: The long-delayed Mogra pumping station project is likely to gain momentum after receiving clearance from the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA).
The proposal had to be revised as the site of the pumping station overlapped with the BMC's Versova–Dahisar Link Road project. Following the approval, the project has now been recommended for final clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Project aimed at addressing chronic flooding
The proposed pumping station at Mogra Nullah was planned to address chronic flooding in Versova, Andheri and Jogeshwari. Although Rs 393 crore was allocated for the project in 2021 and the contract period fixed at 24 months, including monsoons, the work is yet to begin. The project first ran into legal hurdles after a private landowner approached the Bombay High Court over land acquisition.
Legal hurdles and site revision
In December 2024, the court permitted the BMC to proceed with the work subject to a Rs 33 crore deposit pending final judgment. After depositing the amount in March 2025 and initiating preliminary work, the civic body discovered that a portion of the site overlaps with the proposed Phase 2 of the Versova–Dahisar Coastal Road near Lokhandwala Creek Road.
As a result, the pumping station site now has to be shifted slightly westward, requiring fresh clearance under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
“Since the CZMA permission has been granted, we can now begin the process for clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Once that approval is received, work can commence,” a civic official said.
Role of pumping stations during monsoon
During high tide, floodgates are closed to prevent seawater from entering the city, making pumping stations critical for discharging stormwater into the sea. Mumbai’s first pumping station at Irla in Juhu was commissioned in 2010, followed by facilities at Haji Ali, Cleveland, Lovegrove in Worli, Reay Road-Britannia and Gajdhar Bandh at Khar Danda.
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BRIMSTOWAD projects still pending
However, the proposed Mogra and Mahul pumping stations — among the eight projects recommended by the Chitale Committee under the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System (BRIMSTOWAD) in the aftermath of the July 26, 2005 floods — remain incomplete even after two decades.
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