Nisarga...

Nikhil Desai, citizen activist and Matunga resident, said, “For 15 years, the BA (Babasaheb Ambedkar) road is waterlogged during the monsoon. The BMC has still not able to find a solution for it. Also, due to the lockdown, the BMC has another excuse of not being able to work on desilting of drains. However, this area witnessed waterlogging even when the BMC claimed to have completed desilting work in the previous years.”

However, civic officials denied there was severe waterlogging (except Gandhi Market), stating that it was temporary waterlogging due to high tide at some locations. P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner, stormwater drains department, said, “We deny it. Most of the work was carried out. We did not face any problem in all other places, except Gandhi Market in front of DCP office in Matunga. We have operated pumps at several locations. No problems were faced.”

When asked about the videos being shared on social media of waterlogging in areas other than Matunga, Velrasu said, “Temporary waterlogging could be there because of high tide in some locations, but no major issues except in Gandhi market. After the work on Mahul pumping station is completed, these problems will be resolved completely.”

Waterlogging complaints were received by the disaster management team of BMC from Gandhi Market, Sion Road No. 24, Dadar TT, Matunga, Antop Hill, SIES College in Mulund and Mankhurd Railway station area. The data further stated that 70 tree falls were recorded in the city, including 29 in south Mumbai, 21 in the eastern suburbs and 20 in the western suburbs. BMC also recorded nine incidents of shortcircuits.

As of June 4, the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai, including Bhatsa, Tulsi, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa and Vehar, have 15.42% of the total required quantum of water stock, which is more when compared to the same date last year. The water stock last year at this time was 9.28 % of the required stock. With a favourable monsoon expected, BMC expects that there would be no water cuts in the city any time soon.

Meanwhile, on the screening of the evacuated citizens, Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC said, “The screening is an ongoing process, and everyone who is to be released will be released only after their screening is completed. By Friday, all those evacuated will be released from temporary shelters.”

The BMC arranged 35 BMC schools where those evacuated were put in. The civic body has been providing them food and water. Those allowed to go home by the BMC are from areas like Colaba, Mahalaxmi, Walkeshwar, Mahim, Worli Koliwada, Kurla and Dahisar. However, people from areas like Borivli’s Gorai, Versova, Juhu, Malad, Kandivli are yet to be released as their screening is pending.

According to the initial plan, those evacuated were to be kept under observation till Friday, however, many residing on the seashore forced BMC officials to release them on Thursday, citing the cyclone did not hit Mumbai, and they wanted to return home.

A BMC official said, “Many wanted to return on Wednesday evening only as news of cyclone missing Mumbai became official. However, we had to convince them to stay until Thursday morning when we completed their screening, and allowed them to go home.”

Of those allowed to go back home, maximum were from Colaba’s Geeta Nagar, where around 3,000 citizens were evacuated, followed by 1,200 from Mahalaxmi, Walkeshwar, 1,200 from Kurla, 150 from Worli Koliwada, more than 500 from Mahim, and over 450 from Dahisar.

Meanwhile, Naresh Patil, a fisherman from Worli Koliwada, said, “We had to go back to our homes considering we feared getting the virus with so many people around, and we being away from our home. It is always better to stay inside homes rather than to be out. Also, we have been staying by the sea since years, and we understand when it is safe to go nearby and when it is not.”

The 24-hour rainfall data from 8.30am Wednesday to 8.30am Thursday showed less rain (24.8mm) in the suburbs as compared to 50mm rain at the Colaba weather station, owing to the cyclone making landfall to the south of Alibag in Raigad district, which brought its path close to south Mumbai.