Mumbai received over 300 mm rainfall in seven days, says BMC

Despite heavy rainfall, BMC said road and railway services in the city continued to operate smoothly. File Pic

Mumbai received more than 300 mm of rainfall between July 1 and 7 July 2026, BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said during a press conference on Tuesday.

The civic chief said that Mumbai recorded higher rainfall compared with cities such as Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru during the same period.

Despite heavy rainfall, BMC said road and railway services in the city continued to operate smoothly with the help of extensive drainage and pumping systems.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it deployed six major pumping stations, nine mini pumping stations and around 540 water pumps to remove accumulated rainwater from affected areas.

The civic body said these measures helped in faster water drainage during periods of intense rainfall.

Water levels rise by 12 per cent in 24 hours

BMC said the seven reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai had a combined storage level of 28.92 per cent as of 7 July 2026.

The civic body reported that water storage increased by around 12 per cent between July 6 morning and July 7 morning due to rainfall in catchment areas.

However, BMC officials said the rainfall received in the catchment areas of Mumbai's water reservoirs is still below expectations.

For comparison, the total water stock on 7 July 2025 stood at 67.88 per cent.

The civic administration said it is regularly monitoring water availability and will take decisions on possible water cuts depending on future rainfall and storage levels.

Pothole management

BMC said it maintains around 2,118 km of roads across Mumbai.

The civic body has undertaken a project to convert 700 km of roads into cement concrete roads in two phases.

According to the update:

- 577.46 km of roads have been completed

- Phase 1 work is 89.81 per cent complete

- Phase 2 work is 73.72 per cent complete

The BMC said concrete roads have helped reduce pothole-related problems and lowered pothole repair costs by around 35 per cent.

The Mumbai civic chief stated that the Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway are bituminous roads and not cement concrete roads.

BMC said vulnerable pothole-prone sections on both highways have already been identified and repair work has been carried out.

A contractor has been appointed for pothole repairs, while complete resurfacing of both highways will be undertaken after the monsoon season.

BMC working with IIT Bombay on long-term solution

BMC said regular cleaning of rivers and drains is carried out, including removal of accumulated silt.

Officials explained that waterlogging can occur when extremely heavy rainfall happens within a short period, especially during high tide conditions.

Mumbai's location as a coastal city, with large reclaimed areas, makes drainage management more challenging during intense rainfall events.

To address long-term flooding issues, BMC is preparing a detailed project with support from IIT Bombay.

The proposed project aims to reduce around 300 to 350 flooding spots across Mumbai.

The plan includes:

- Construction of new pumping stations

- Increasing pumping capacity

- Installing automatic flood prevention gates

- Strengthening the stormwater drainage network

BMC is also seeking funding support through the National Disaster Relief Fund for the project.

For more Mumbai Monsoon coverage, including weather forecasts, rain updates, transport disruptions, lake levels and civic advisories, visit our Mumbai Monsoon page.

Strong winds cause increase in tree falls

BMC said an increase in tree falls was reported due to strong winds during the past few days.

Officials said Mumbai usually experiences strong winds during the monsoon, but this year wind speeds reached around 50 to 70 km per hour for four to five consecutive days.

The civic body said this caused significant damage to trees.

Tree fall figures shared by BMC:

- 2022: 655 trees fell

- 2023: 687 trees fell

- 2024: 653 trees fell

- 2025: 855 trees fell

- 2026: 830 trees fell

Out of the 830 trees that fell in 2026, around 480 were located in private areas, according to BMC data.

BMC's appeals to citizens

The civic body has appealed to residents not to throw solid waste or floating garbage into rivers and drains, as waste blocks drainage systems and increases flooding risks.

BMC said citizens can report pothole-related complaints through dedicated apps and complaint platforms, helping authorities respond faster.