Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister and Mumbai City Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday directed all civic and emergency response agencies to work in close coordination with the goal of achieving “zero casualty” during the upcoming monsoon season. Reviewing the status of pre-monsoon preparedness across Mumbai and the metropolitan region, Shinde emphasized the need for comprehensive planning, timely execution of works, and effective disaster management mechanisms.
Chairing a high-level review meeting through video conferencing, the Deputy Chief Minister said that although the delayed onset of monsoon has provided authorities with additional preparation time, it also necessitates careful planning for drinking water management alongside disaster response measures.
Highlighting the city's infrastructure improvements, Shinde said that 1,700 km of Mumbai’s nearly 2,000 km road network has been concretised, resulting in a significant reduction in road maintenance requirements. He noted that expenditure on road and pothole repairs has come down by nearly 80 per cent, improving road conditions and commuter convenience during the rainy season.
The Deputy Chief Minister instructed civic authorities to expedite pending desilting works and ensure that all stormwater drains are cleaned before heavy rains begin. He also called for the operational readiness of holding ponds and flood gates, installation of protective nets in landslide-prone areas, and structural audits of hoardings to prevent accidents during adverse weather conditions.
Shinde further directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to establish a dedicated disaster response force on the lines of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). He urged all administrative departments to function as a unified team to provide relief and support to citizens during the monsoon.
The review meeting was attended by Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi, senior officials from the BMC, Railways, Police, CIDCO, MHADA, MMRDA, SRA, Coast Guard, Navy, NDRF, BEST and other agencies.
Emphasising public health and safety, Shinde said proper drainage in slum areas would help prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases. He also instructed authorities to maintain adequate stocks of medicines at the Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana centres and ensure that metro stations remain free from waterlogging.
During the presentation, Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar informed that Mumbai has 125 rainfall monitoring stations, while 24 high-tide days exceeding 4.5 metres are expected between June and September. The city has deployed 934 dewatering pumps, 65 mini pumping stations, 1,000 Apda Mitras, three NDRF teams and nine Navy teams. A new smart pump management system has also been introduced to monitor pumping stations from the BMC’s central control room, further strengthening Mumbai’s monsoon preparedness.
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