Mumbai: Two major rivers in Mumbai, the Dahisar and Poisar, overflowed after the incessant rains since Sunday night and throughout on Monday, causing prolonged flooding in the areas of Poisar, Dahisar and along the Mithi river. Not only did this lead to flooding of the streets, but water also entered the houses on the riverbanks.
Although the situation improved in other areas on Monday, areas near the river banks continued to be majorly under water.
As a result, residents of Gaothan in Dahisar west, Daulat Nagar, Borivli east, near the Western Express highway and the Dahisar river and those of Dahanukar Wadi, Mahavir Nagar, Kandivli Gaothan and Kranti Nagar near the Poisar river found themselves stranded in knee-deep water early on Sunday. Water did not recede completely on Monday and where it did, it left muck and sludge around residential buildings such as Koyna, Shantidwar and Godavari.
“Dahanukar Wadi and all the surrounding areas are under water because of the wrongly designed bridge on Poisar river and uncleared drains,” said BMC corporator of ward 21 in Kandivli, Pratibha Girkar.
“Many homes and shops located near the Dahisar river which flows along the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) went under after the river level rose above normal thanks to Sunday’s downpour. Areas such as Shantivan, where I reside and Shrikrishna Nagar in Borivli east witnessed severe waterlogging. There was knee-deep sludge in Shantivan till late on Sunday.” said a resident of Shantivan Apartments.
There was continued waterlogging in Anand Nagar, Govind Nagar, Sambhaji Nagar, Sainath Nagar, Gaothan and Eksar in Borivli even on Monday.
Bhalchandra Mhatre, former BMC corporator and resident of Dahisar said: “The issue of waterlogging in the areas surrounding Dahisar river is an annual affair. However, it rained torrentially in Dahisar and Borivli on Sunday and Monday. The river overflowed, water entered households. Waterlogging happened across the city. However, the important thing is water receded in time."
“Not only are Mumbai’s rivers clogged, but the wetlands surrounding them are also practically non-existent, so when the rivers overflow, they automatically lead to flooding in nearby localities. The same is the case with the Dahisar, Poisar and Oshiwara rivers. With the wetlands along these rivers being practically non-existent, it means that there is no buffer between the waterline and adjoining localities. When the rivers overflow, they automatically lead to flooding in such localities,” said Jaswant Patil, an environmentalist and resident of Kandivli.
Swelling in the river had affected the water-receding capacity of local stormwater drains and the nullahs that discharge into these rivers.
As the Mithi river crossed the danger mark of 3.6 metres early on Friday, climbing to 3.96metres, the BMC evacuated about 250 people from the Kranti Nagar slum, located on the riverbank as a precautionary measure. Later in the day, the residents were moved back to their houses. However, waterlogging was witnessed throughout Sunday and Monday.
“Crores have already been spent on its desilting but Mithi river overflowed and flooded nearby areas. Large parts of low-lying Kurla remained inundated for several hours. No proper cleaning of the nullah has been done. All the claims of the civic body are false,” said NCP corporator Kaptan Malik said.