Gearing up for monsoon: BMC starts process to hire dewatering pumps

To gear up for monsoon the Storm Water and Drain (SWD) management department starts preparation from March month onwards. According to civic officials like every year this year to avoid flooding in various parts of Mumbai the civic body will hire dewatering pumps. The proposal will be tabled in April first week in the Standing Committee meeting. Shockingly though BMC has spent crores of rupees on construction of pumping stations in Mumbai, hiring the number of dewatering pumps for water-logging spots across the city has seen no major difference this year also.

For this monsoon also BMC to install 298 dewatering pumps which was 313 last year. Which means merely few dewatering pumps have been reduced as compared to earlier. As per civic source due to pumping stations the few spots where usually water accumulates there no water is been seen. In addition, few spots which do not require dewatering pumps as observed last year on those spots also pumps won't be installed this time.

As part of monsoon preparations, the civic body has identified 66 spots prone to water-logging where it will install 298 dewatering pumps to ensure discharge of flooded water from city nullahs. BMC to spend approximately Rs 56 crore on hiring of this 298 dewatering pumps in this year. The pumps will be installed for six months that is between May 25 till October 15.

The SWD management department civic officer added usually the pumps hired are of 250 cubic volt, out of which 16 dewatering pumps are of 450 cubic volt which will be installed at flooding spots which are more chronic. Like for example the fishing dock in South Mumbai also known as 'Bhau ka Dhakka' will have high volt dewatering pumps to flush water into the sea.