Monsoon preparedness: BMC to install 547 portaable dewatering pumps in flood-prone spots

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC will install 547 portable dewatering pumps as part of its measures to tackle waterlogging in parts of the city during monsoon, an official said on Tuesday. Of Mumbais 2,050-km road network, 1,745 km has been concretised, while work on the remaining 305 km is underway, with progress ranging between 45 and 90 per cent, Bhide said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will install 547 portable dewatering pumps as part of its measures to tackle waterlogging in parts of the city during monsoon, an official said on Tuesday. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide chaired a joint meeting of the BMC and other agencies, including the IMD, to review monsoon preparedness. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bhide said Mumbai has 496 flood-prone spots, of which 403 have already been addressed, and of the remaining 93, only 13 can be resolved before the monsoon. The BMC will install 547 portable dewatering pumps, of which 146 will be in the island city, 178 in the eastern suburbs and 123 in the western suburbs, apart from six pumping stations and 10 mini pumping stations, the civic chief said. Bhide said the pumps will be kept ready from May 5, considering last year's early onset of monsoon and the possibility of pre-monsoon showers. All portable pumps will be fitted with IoT-based devices so they can be controlled through smartphones and monitored in real time from the control room, she said. Of Mumbai's 2,050-km road network, 1,745 km has been concretised, while work on the remaining 305 km is underway, with progress ranging between 45 and 90 per cent, Bhide said. Road works that are less than 70 per cent complete are unlikely to be finished before the monsoon, and hence, the civic body has decided to close such works and cover the stretches with mastic, she said. She further pointed out that pothole repair costs have reduced substantially in recent years due to concretisation, and the civic body has allocated Rs 45 crore for pothole repairs this year, compared with Rs 97 crore in 2025. Major nullah desilting works are 39 per cent complete, while cleaning of the Mithi River is expected to be finished before monsoon, she said. Bhide said Mumbai has around 174 dilapidated buildings classified under the C1 category, of which 72 have been vacated, while action in 71 cases has been stalled due to court stays. She further said that around 59,720 trees are scheduled for trimming this year, and of these, 26,672 have already been trimmed, while the rest of the work is expected to be completed by May end. Notices have been issued regarding around 7,000 trees located on private or government premises, she said. The municipal commissioner said the BMC will conduct joint inspections with railway authorities to address flooding on railway tracks. Bhide said three teams of the National Disaster Response Force will remain deployed in Mumbai during the monsoon.