Civic officials say there was delay in making dewatering pumps operational by usual date at flood-prone spots, and they thought they had time. They were left red-faced after its monsoon unpreparedness lay exposed on Monday, squarely blamed the weather gods for it. BMC officials revealed that there was a delay in making dewatering pumps operational
A clothing shop at Hindmata, a day after the low-lying area was flooded on May 26. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade
The BMC, left red-faced after its monsoon unpreparedness lay exposed on Monday, squarely blamed the weather gods for it. BMC officials revealed that there was a delay in making dewatering pumps operational, and the monsoon “wasn’t expected to arrive this early”. Monday’s downpour left Hindmata and other low-lying areas badly waterlogged. Shopkeepers at Hindmata who escaped major losses, thanks to the bazaar being closed on Mondays, are frustrated by what they call a “chronic and avoidable” problem.
Clothing shops at Hindmata, a day after the low-lying area got flooded on May 26
Hindmata has long struggled with flooding during monsoon and even pre-monsoon rainfall. Though the situation was somewhat better in the past two years due to the installation of dewatering pumps. There are 11 such mechanical devices in the area, which transfer water to underground holding tanks constructed beneath St Xavier’s ground in Parel and Pramod Mahajan Udyan in Dadar. The water is then let into the nullahs from these two tanks. Shopkeepers say they have had to adapt over the years, devising ways to elevate stock or seal off parts of their shops whenever heavy rain is forecast. But despite their resilience, they face hurdles beyond just the water.
“Every year, we go through the same ordeal. We’ve learned to live with the water, but that doesn’t make flooding acceptable. I have built a foot-high granite elevation and placed all our racks of clothes on it. Many others have made similar arrangements so that their products do not get drenched. But still, the water did enter my shop like every year, and we had to come to work yesterday [May 26] despite it being a Monday, and get the water drained and dry the shop,” said Manish Dedhia, owner of SJ Enterprise.
Sunil Mamania, owner of the Formen shop
Sunil Mamania, owner of the Formen shop, asked why the water accumulated despite the presence of pumps. “We want the BMC to first tell us how these pumps work, where the water that they say is pumped out from the roads here goes, and how this entire system works. Even after installing these pumps, water entered our shops. Our shop is located at the centre of Hindmata, which is the area’s lowest spot. Water flowing from Bhoiwada and Dadar comes here,” said Mamania.
A few other shopkeepers were thankful that it had rained on a Monday, as the market is generally closed on this day and that the roads were not congested with traffic. “When the vehicles constantly keep moving, it becomes difficult for water to enter drains, causing it to ultimately enter our shops. Though we did not face huge losses, muddy water entered our shops and we had to clean and dry some of the clothes that got wet,” said Sarwar Alam, owner of Noori Collection.
Another pressing issue, according to shopkeepers, is their lack of insurance coverage. “Insurance companies refuse to give us coverage unless our shops are built at least four feet above ground level. And that is not possible here,” said Mamania.
BMC’s response
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), responsible for flood control and infrastructure maintenance, attributed this week’s flooding to a delay in starting the water pumps that help drain Hindmata. “The tender for pump maintenance expired last year, and a new contractor was appointed just 15 days ago. Normally, all pumps are operational by May 15. But this year, the new contractor asked for additional time to begin operations. We instructed them to start by May 25, but he had mentioned that he would start the pumps by May 26. We thought one day wouldn’t make a difference. Unfortunately, nature had other plans. And it rained heavily, causing the flood-like situation in the area,” said Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner, projects. He further mentioned that 70 per cent of pumps in the area were functional on Tuesday, and the rest will be made operational in the next two or three days.
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