While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has claimed it is better prepared to tackle monsoon this year, activists said they are taking the civic body's claim with a pinch of salt.
Earlier this week, the civic administration installed 253 de-watering pumps at chronic flooding spots in the city such as Hindmata, Ghatkopar, Kurla and Malad.While the pumps were placed at various spots, the civic body claimed it was also taking several other preventive measures.
A civic official said that the city has several saucershaped junctions which get water-logged every monsoon. “The high-power dewatering pumps help drain out the rainwater to some extent. So, they are installed prior to the monsoon every year,“ said the official.
As compared to last year, there has been an increase in the number of pumps installed. Last year, the civic body had installed 244 pumps. This year, the number has been increased due to a request made at the civicward level.
Director, engineering (services and projects) Laxman Vhatkar said, “The pumps work on diesel and have been installed especially in low-lying areas. We increased the number of de-watering pumps as per the requirement given by ward officials. These pumps are already on site and should provide some relief in case of flooding.“
The civic administration has also claimed that it has completed over 75% of the desilting work at various major and minor nallahs across the city besides completing about 75% of desilting of river Mithi. Last week, civic chief Ajoy Mehta had inspected the work of cleaning of roads and drains.
Residents, however, said that only time would tell how well prepared the civic body is. Member of FNorth ward Citizens' Federation, G R Vora, said that the civic body's preparedness cannot be seen completely at the ground level. “There are places in Sion and Matunga, like the arterial road between Gandhi Market and King Circle, where there is debris lying around. Besides, silt which has been removed from nallahs is lying right next to the drains. They keep making such statements that they are well prepared without assistant engineers and maintenance officials actually checking the ground reality .“
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