Mumbai: Andheri subway shut 24 times this monsoon, permanent flood solution may take two-three years

The Andheri subway was shut 24 times between June and October this monsoon resulting in nearly 39 hours of disruption according to BMC data reviewed by midday Water levels during the closures ranged from one foot to 55 feet with the longest shutdown lasting eight hours and 40 minutes on July 4 when the subway was submerged under five feet of waterThe number of closures was lower than the 33 recorded in 2025 However a permanent solution to the recurring flooding remains years away with civic officials saying the intervention will take timeJuly accounts for most closuresOf the 24 closures this year 19 occurred in July when Mumbai received more than 60 per cent of its annual average rainfall June recorded four closures while September saw one In 13 instances the subway remained shut for an hour or longerThe highest water level recorded was 55 feet on July 1 when the subway remained closed for three hours The longest disruption occurred on July 4 lasting eight hours and 40 minutes The last recorded flooding before the end of September occurred on September 29 and the subway remained closed for an hourWaterlogging at Andheri subway during the monsoon File picAtul KambleLongterm fix could take yearsA senior civic official said the flooding issue was being addressed under the BMCrsquos Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority NDMA ldquoAn intervention for the Andheri subwayrsquos persistent flooding issue is one of the components of our Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan which is in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority The intervention cannot be immediate and will take two to three yearsrdquo the official saidResidents seek a lasting solutionDhaval Shah cofounder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizensrsquo Association said the prolonged delay was disappointing and urged authorities to study the locationrsquos specific challenges before finalising a solutionldquoYears ago when authorities started finding a solution for this problem I honestly didnrsquot expect it to stretch this long Authorities are taking their time they should deeply study the problem to come up with a solution What worked at other spots in the city wonrsquot necessarily be successful hereThe spot is uniquely complex in its problem The solution should be implemented after all factors are considered otherwise it will lead to just another expense with no longterm solutionrdquo Shah saidWhy the subway mattersThe Andheri subway is a crucial eastwest connector When flooding forces its closure traffic is diverted via Gokhale Bridge adding around 15 km to the journey or via the Balasaheb Thackeray Flyover adding roughly 3 km The subway is particularly vulnerable to monsoon flooding because it lies in a lowlying catchment area connected to Mogra nullahBMC has explored several optionsEarlier this year civic chief Ashwini Bhide said solutions were available to mitigate flooding at the location and that the BMC was exploring them As midday had previously reported BMC dropped a flyover proposal because space constraints made it difficult It subsequently considered sump pits and underground waterholding tanks similar to those installed at Hindmata and Gandhi Market to reduce waterlogging The Andheri subway is among the locations covered under the BMCrsquos R13K crore flood mitigation planAndheri subway Monsoon disruptions this yearClosures in 202624Total downtimeNearly 39 hoursHighest water level55 feetLongest closure8h 40m July 4