High Court ticks off state and BMC for Mumbai flooding
While dealing with a PIL on the death of one of the city’s most well-known gastroenterologist, who fell into an open manhole during the recent flooding, the Bombay High Court on Friday also came down heavily on the BMC and the state government for not doing enough to improve Mumbai’s infrastructure.
“Nature can never be stopped, no one can stop it. This is not the first time there were floods in Mumbai, it has become a regular affair during every monsoon,” remarked a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Nitin Jamdar.
Apart from dealing with the problem of open manholes, the PIL sought installation of more doppler radar systems in the city so that accurate predictions of rains can be made. The petitioners informed the judges that despite several orders, the matter has not moved an inch. They told the bench that the civic body has not yet handed over the land near Veeravali in Andheri for installing the radar.
Matters pertaining to putting up of the doppler radar and more rain gauges was earlier being heard by a division bench headed by Justice Vidyasagar Kanade, who retired recently. While hearing petitions, he had passed several orders and had even warned the civic body and the Maharashtra government of initiating contempt proceedings.
Now after seeing rivers flowing down the streets of Mumbai during the recent rains, Justice Kanade says that it is “ridiculous and shameful” on the part of the BMC. Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Justice Kanade said, “Despite many orders and even the warning of contempt proceedings it seems the civic body and the government has not understood the gravity of the problem. It is very sad they do not realise the consequences of their inaction.”
“They (BMC and government) call Mumbai a smart city and still it does not have basic equipment to give warning to people regarding the weather. It is the moral responsibility of the corporation to ensure that citizens are not left uninformed about the heavy rainfalls that can submerge the roads,” Justice Kanade added.
Justice Kanade also said that the tolerance levels of Mumbaikars are indeed high. “They are suffering due to civic body’s inaction, some even die. Unless the authorities are made accountable, the scenario will not change.”