04 July,2026 07:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
Officials at the BMC’s Disaster Management Control Room monitor live feeds, emergency calls and rain-related incidents from across Mumbai as the city battles heavy monsoon showers. Pics/Atul Kamble
While more than 7000 BMC personnel battle waterlogging, fallen trees, and rain-related emergencies on Mumbai's streets, a 30-member team inside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Disaster Management (DM) Control Room is working round the clock to coordinate the city's response. Over five days of heavy rain, the control room handled more than 6000 calls, monitored 10,500 CCTV cameras, coordinated with 60 agencies and even helped debunk viral misinformation on social media.
Location: BMC Headquarters
Operates: 24x7
Core team: 30+ disaster management officials
Supports: 7000+ BMC field staff
Emergency helpline
Officials answer calls on 1916, the BMC's disaster helpline.
Complaints include
>> Waterlogging
>> Tree falls
>> Short circuits
>> Fire incidents
>> Building collapses
>> Public queries and updates
>> Around 10-12 officials manage the helpline round the clock.
>> 10,500 CCTV cameras
>> Doppler radar
>> Pumping stations
>> Waterlogging hotspots
>> Dewatering pumps
>> Rain-related emergencies across Mumbai
For the first time, the BMC is using an IoT-based system to monitor more than 540 dewatering pumps installed across flood-prone locations, allowing officials to detect breakdowns in real time.
The control room stays connected through dedicated hotlines with 60 agencies, including
>> Mumbai Fire Brigade
>> Mumbai Police
>> Railways
>> Airport Authority
>> Hospitals
>> Port Trust
>> MMR civic bodies
>> Ward control rooms
More than emergency response
Besides replying to emergencies. The control room keeps misinformation in check. The control room also verifies viral videos and posts circulating on social media.
This week's example
>> On Wednesday, several videos of flooded roads were shared on social media.
>> Officials checked live feeds.
>> The footage showed no flooding at locations shown.
>> The BMC concluded that videos were from last year.
When the helpline failed...
How BMC responded
>> Activated its backup Disaster Management Control Room in Parel.
>> Shifted half the staff to the backup facility.
>> Kept the remaining team at the HQ to monitor pumping stations, CCTV feeds, dewatering pumps and communication systems.
>> Both control rooms functioned simultaneously to ensure there was no disruption.
The backup control room
The BMC's backup Disaster Management Control Room at the City Institute of Disaster Management in Parel was commissioned in 2013-14.
Facility mirrors the HQ and includes
>> Video wall
>> Dedicated phone lines
>> Emergency communication systems
>> It was also used extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic to operate the BMC's bed management system.
What Number
Emergency calls received 6000+
CCTV cameras monitored 10,500
Agencies connected through hotlines 60
Dewatering pumps monitored 540+
BMC staff deployed on ground 7000+
