The first heavy showers yesterday washed away the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) claims that Mumbai is ready for the monsoon. The BMC had even inaugurated two new pumping stations, constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 200 crore, but even their catchment areas (areas supposed to be drained out by the pumps) were flooded. Several key areas in the city, including Khar Subway, Hindmata and the Princess Street area (near Crawford Market), which are notorious for waterlogging, remained flooded.

A BEST bus drives through a flooded road in Mahim. A total of 19 trees fell across the city, of which one fell on a moving bus. The bus suffered damage but no one was injured. PIC/ Shadab Khan

Areas like Worli and Currey Road, which are covered by  the new Cleveland Bunder and Love Grove pumping stations, were flooded. The Rs 116 crore Love Grove pumping station and Rs 112 crore Cleveland Bunder pumping station, which were to pump out rain water in times of high tide and heavy rainfall, were inaugurated by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders on Wednesday.