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

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 TuesdayThe civic chief said that Mumbai recorded higher rainfall compared with cities such as Delhi Pune and Bengaluru during the same periodDespite heavy rainfall BMC said road and railway services in the city continued to operate smoothly with the help of extensive drainage and pumping systemsThe 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 areasThe civic body said these measures helped in faster water drainage during periods of intense rainfallWater levels rise by 12 per cent in 24 hoursBMC said the seven reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai had a combined storage level of 2892 per cent as of 7 July 2026The 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 areasHowever BMC officials said the rainfall received in the catchment areas of Mumbais water reservoirs is still below expectationsFor comparison the total water stock on 7 July 2025 stood at 6788 per centThe civic administration said it is regularly monitoring water availability and will take decisions on possible water cuts depending on future rainfall and storage levelsPothole managementBMC said it maintains around 2118 km of roads across MumbaiThe civic body has undertaken a project to convert 700 km of roads into cement concrete roads in two phasesAccording to the update 57746 km of roads have been completed Phase 1 work is 8981 per cent complete Phase 2 work is 7372 per cent completeThe BMC said concrete roads have helped reduce potholerelated problems and lowered pothole repair costs by around 35 per centThe Mumbai civic chief stated that the Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway are bituminous roads and not cement concrete roadsBMC said vulnerable potholeprone sections on both highways have already been identified and repair work has been carried outA contractor has been appointed for pothole repairs while complete resurfacing of both highways will be undertaken after the monsoon seasonBMC working with IIT Bombay on longterm solutionBMC said regular cleaning of rivers and drains is carried out including removal of accumulated siltOfficials explained that waterlogging can occur when extremely heavy rainfall happens within a short period especially during high tide conditionsMumbais location as a coastal city with large reclaimed areas makes drainage management more challenging during intense rainfall eventsTo address longterm flooding issues BMC is preparing a detailed project with support from IIT BombayThe proposed project aims to reduce around 300 to 350 flooding spots across MumbaiThe plan includes Construction of new pumping stations Increasing pumping capacity Installing automatic flood prevention gates Strengthening the stormwater drainage networkBMC is also seeking funding support through the National Disaster Relief Fund for the projectFor more Mumbai Monsoon coverage including weather forecasts rain updates transport disruptions lake levels and civic advisories visit ourMumbai Monsoon pageStrong winds cause increase in tree fallsBMC said an increase in tree falls was reported due to strong winds during the past few daysOfficials 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 daysThe civic body said this caused significant damage to treesTree fall figures shared by BMC 2022 655 trees fell 2023 687 trees fell 2024 653 trees fell 2025 855 trees fell 2026 830 trees fellOut of the 830 trees that fell in 2026 around 480 were located in private areas according to BMC dataBMCs appeals to citizensThe 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 risksBMC said citizens can report potholerelated complaints through dedicated apps and complaint platforms helping authorities respond faster