Relentless rain for the last four days has brought Mumbai to a standstill, prompting authorities to shut down schools, issue travel advisories and close beaches for public. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the city and suburbs, warning of extremely heavy rainfall through August 21.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday cautioned citizens about the severity of the weather. “In the last 2 days, Maharashtra has received widespread rainfall. Red Alert and Orange Alert have been issued for several districts. Even for the next three days, until 21st August, half of the districts in Maharashtra have either Red Alert or Orange Alert,” ANI quoted him as saying.
The persistent downpour has also revived the old fears of Mumbaikars: severe waterlogging and civic apathy. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appears to be better prepared to tackle the monsoon mayhem this year with tireless civic action on the groud making the lives of citizens easier.
Civic action on the ground
In a city where past monsoons often meant paralysis, BMC is throwing its full weight into disaster management this year. Some of the noticeable ground action includes:
- The fire brigade, garden department, and ward offices have been deployed to clear uprooted trees and branches swiftly.
- Engineers, pump operators, health staff and emergency response teams are stationed on-site & are carrying out field operations.
- With suburban trains hit, BMC teams have been distributing water, tea, biscuits, and other essentials at stations.
- Pumping machinery has been activated round the clock in low-lying areas to clear accumulated rainwater.
- The District Disaster Management Authority has ordered schools and colleges shut, while the municipal administration has urged private offices to allow work-from-home.
- Immediate measures are being undertaken to ensure that water drainage works are not obstructed.
Pumping out a flood
The highlight of BMC’s response lies underground, in its network of six pumping stations that form the backbone of Mumbai’s flood control.
From the morning of August 16 to noon on August 19, these stations drained an astonishing 1,645 crore litres of water, BMC told Moneycontrol. Together, the 43 pumps, each capable of discharging 6,000 litres per second, operated for more than 761 hours.
- Irla station: 3,768 million litres
- Cleveland Bunder: 2,906 million litres
- Gazdarbandh: 2,870 million litres
- Lovegrove: 2,826 million litres
- Haji Ali: 2,379 million litres
- Britannia: 1,700 million litres
In addition, 540 dewatering pumps stationed in water-prone neighbourhoods removed 182.5 crore litres of water in just six hours on August 19. "To put this in perspective, this is more than double the storage capacity of Tulsi Lake (804.6 crore litres)," BMC told Moneycontrol.
Record-breaking rainfall
Mumbai recorded its highest rainfall of the season in the 24 hours ending 8 am on August 19. The western suburbs saw the worst of it:
Chincholi Fire Station – 361 mm
Kandivali Fire Station – 337 mm
Dindoshi BMC School – 305 mm
Magathane Bus Depot – 304 mm
The city area was not spared, with Dadar logging 300 mm and Wadala 282 mm. The eastern suburbs recorded nearly 300 mm at Chembur, Vikhroli, and Powai.
At the peak, between 4 am and 8 am on August 19, several parts of Mumbai received over 100 mm in just four hours.
Emergency response and rescues
Inside BMC’s disaster control room, the machinery has been functioning in overdrive. Engineers, pump operators, health workers and emergency teams are stationed across the city, ensuring drainage systems don’t choke. Police are working alongside civic officials in rescue and relief.
Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha visited the control room on Tuesday, accompanied by Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, to review the situation.
On the ground, dramatic rescues highlighted the coordination: at King’s Circle, Matunga police rescued schoolchildren from a stranded bus, taking them to safety and handing them over to parents.
A different monsoon story this time
For decades, heavy rains have been synonymous with Mumbai coming to a standstill. But this year, despite record-breaking showers and IMD’s dire red alert, the city is not drowning in the same chaos. The difference lies in BMC’s preparedness: from high-capacity pumping stations to hundreds of portable pumps, coordinated ward-level response, and real-time monitoring.
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