Nothing has changed in Mumbai since the 2005 deluge

The floods of July 26, 2005, is not likely to be forgotten by Mumbai residents for a long time to come. A cloudburst, which led to the city receiving in excess of 900 mm of water in 24 hours, coincided with a high tide. The deluge left more than 500 dead and caused losses worth Rs 2,000 crore.

Since then, the annual monsoon causes at least three to four flood-induced disruptions in the Mumbai-MMR region each year.

Read | Recurring urban floods elicit quick-fix solutions, no concrete action

There are many reasons for the flooding: From the unplanned growth of the city over the decades to the reduced carrying capacity of the drains.

Mumbai’s drainage system, consisting of over 2,000 km of open drains, 440 km of closed drains, 186 outfalls and more than 30,000 water entrances, are over a century old. Currently, the drains can handle 55 mm of rain per hour.

However, during a heavy downpour, the four rivers in Mumbai gush out to the sea, and when they are met by a high tide, flooding results.

Project underway

The city administration’s Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System or ‘Brimstowad project’ that planned to overhaul Mumbai’s water drainage system, is currently underway.

After the 2005 floods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was one of the first municipal corporations in the country to ban plastic. A grid of pumps have also been installed to pump out the flood water.

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One suggestion to manage the floods also came from the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Gadkari suggested creating a water grid to take care of excess water.

Also Read | Hyderabad floods: A disaster years in the making

According to him, if systematically planned, Mumbai’s flood water, drainage and sewerage can be diverted towards Thane, where it can be stored in a dam, after being treated midway. “This water can be used for irrigation, industries around the city and for supplying water to nearby horticulture belts. Through pipelines, excess water can be carried to other drought-prone areas of the state as well,” he said.

Gadkari also suggested concretising roads in Mumbai with an “advanced drainage system to carry sewerage and flood water,” along the Mumbai-Pune expressway built nearly two decades ago.