Post the deluge in Mumbai on July 26, 2005, it is clear that the redevelopment of Mumbai city needs a sectoral plan, and not the kind of haphazard growth that has happened so far. This latter includes such actions as the municipal authorities appointing uncertified contractors and not ISO certified engineering agencies to carry out infrastructural development and construction activities. There are numerous players such as Tata Consultancy Engineering that can be roped in to undertake the serious infrastructural activities. However, the moot point here is these major players are actually not approached by the municipal authorities? Not only that, whether municipal authorities actually spend crores of rupees (which is otherwise not required in appointing uncertified contractors), and whether municipal authorities monitor their task religiously in a responsible manner is a big question mark as one heavy downpour pushes Mumbai’s one million people into a neck deep water world.

Srikant Singh, additional municipal commissioner, BMC, told FE, ?The Centre has agreed to give Rs 1,200 crore for the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal (BRIMSTOWAD) project to upgrade storm water drainage system, which is 150 year old, to prevent another deluge like July 26, 2005. The entire amount will be treated as a grant. Civic authorities first considered upgrading the storm water drain system of the city following a deluge in 1985. A report submitted by UK-based consultants Watson Hawksley in 1995 suggested a new storm water drainage system designed to handle 50 mm of rainfall per hour. This project will be ready by the beginning of the monsoon of 2011. Currently, the city’s drainage system can handle 40 mm of rainfall per hour subject to a maximum of 200 mm per day.”

Singh further explained that the first phase of the BRIMSTOWAD project will involve setting up three pumping station at Haji Ali, Love Grove in Worli and at Irla in Vile Parle. In the second phase, pumping stations will come up at Cleveland and Mogra Nala at Santacruz. Once the project is complete, the drainage system will be able to handle 60 mm of rainfall per hour subject to a maximum of 450 mm per day. This will also evade accumulation of solid waste.

To top it all, BMC does not have a detailed drainage map of Mumbai city nor a Geographic Information System (GIS) — a valuable forecasting tool to create complex digital maps with voluminous data. This computer mapping and simulation facility is, in fact, available with several other city-based private companies. Had BMC utilised GIS and computer simulation models on July 26 and the ensuing days, a fairly correct picture of the deluge would have been known and the potential danger areas. Logically speaking, it is time for the state government to form a new governing body to monitor BMC.

To this, Singh states, “Once the BRIMSTOWAD is put in place, GIS will be implemented simultaneously. We are also in the process of introducing Dopler machine forecast for Tsunami which will be ready by the beginning of 2008 monsoon.”

The Mithi river, which is one of the biggest carrier of rainwater from the hills of Powai, rose to record levels of flooding. The river has been blocked at various points along its 15-km course through the eastern suburbs, mainly to accommodate the Mumbai airport runway and the financial hub at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) leading to extensive choking at the river mouth. According to the town planner, slums and other unauthorised structures in Mumbai are most vulnerable to flooding.

To this, Anuj Puri, managing director ? Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj comments, “The primary reason behind Mumbai’s susceptibility to flooding is its unplanned, large-scale urbanization, which has led to the decimation of natural barriers to such incidences. Poor drainage maintenance and lack of public concern about the use of non-biodegradable plastic products are merely secondary reasons. The only long-term solutions for Mumbai ? and in fact for all cities simulating its haphazard urbanization patterns ? would seem to be the decongestion of metropolitan regions, putting a brake on land reclamation developments, stricter enforcement of Development Control Regulations (DCR) and more emphatic measures to raise awareness about civic responsibility. We as citizens can hold municipal authorities responsible for such disasters only to the extent that we make ourselves accountable for our own efforts to prevent them.

“While decongesting our cities may not seem currently practicable, we may not have much of an option a couple of decades down the line. The extent to which we can postpone that inevitability depends solely on how we allow our cities to develop in the present context,” Puri added.

Which is why it is important to adopt certain international best practices so that Mumbai too can get rid of flooding. A look at various measures recommended by industry gurus to get rid of the flooding problems, is illuminating.

According to architect Hafeez Contractor, “In Hong Kong, there are underground water tanks which let the excess water flow into the tank and then as the tide goes down, the water is pumped out. Here also, wherever water flows through gravity, its fine, but the moment the water does not flow through the gravity it calls for a big problem like flooding. Every new initiative has its pros and cons, but time has now arrived to implement them.”

To this statement, Singh however opines that Hong Kong receives about 2214 mm of rainfall throughout the year, which is less when compared to maximum rainfall of about 1168 mm in Lakshadweep islands on May 6, 2004 and 944 mm of Mumbai rainfall on July 26, 2005.

According to Puri, “The way to turn a city into a world-class IT destination is to identify its inherent strengths; develop and support institutions that deliver the requisite facilities and beef up existing infrastructure and connectivity to facilitate speedy transport of goods and people. One then needs to promote the city as a ‘finished product’ on the national and international markets, outlining the established advantages. All these components contribute towards giving the city the right profile in a highly competitive environment. The services offered and access to them are equally important.”

With memories still fresh in the minds of the 2005 flood victims, Mumbaikars now brace themselves each year for the June-September rains. Residents of several colonies have taken steps to ensure that they get instant help when stuck in heavy rains. For instance, in Chembur, residents of Pestorm Sagar, a locality of 120 buildings, have set up a forum to reach help to people immediately in the instance of a flood. The forum has put together a disaster management kit, which comprises life jackets, lifebuoys, oxygen tanks, fogging machines, stretchers and first aid. There is also a dedicated jeep that will be used for rescue missions. The forum, which has doctors on panel and people trained in rescue operations and first aid, says it is not entirely dependent on municipal authorities. In neighbouring Air India Colony, one of the worst hit localities of the 2005 deluge, residents have taken upon themselves to deal with a crisis in the absence of an initiative from the housing society.