Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified 290 landslide spots, and 142 assembly points, which can be used for shelter in case of flooding like the one on August 29 last year. The points include municipal schools and welfare centres where people can also get medical aid. The corporation will coordinate with NGOs, who wish to donate food for the stranded.
As part of its monsoon preparedness measures, the civic body conducts surveys of the city every year. It creates a vulnerability report in which wards with higher risk of waterlogging, building collapse, and landslides are identified. For this year, the flood preparation guidelines have been finalised with a separate chapter on vulnerability.
The guidelines have zeroed in on 142 emergency assembly points and 290 landslide-prone locations as on May 25. The guidelines were submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on May 29 in a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (disaster management) Kishore Kshirsagar said the assembly points are spread across the city and stranded people can take shelter. “If there is flooding, people can locate the nearest shelter by dialling our helpline and we will guide them. Our priority is to ensure people are not troubled in the event of a transport breakdown.” Once at the shelter, those who need medical aid will be attended by a team from the nearest municipal hospital. “We will collaborate with charitable organisations who want to distribute food or water,” an official from the BMC’s disaster management department said.
Besides, stranded people can call 1916 to report their location and problem, and the disaster management cell can mobilise the fire brigade or police to the spot.
The highest number of shelters is in Andheri (east) (18), followed by Kurla (11). Last year, the BMC had identified 144 assembly points.
In the list of landslide-prone spots, Bhandup tops with 152. None of the other wards even come close to this number. Ghatkopar has 32 such locations. These spots are located near hill slopes of Bhandup, Powai, and Ghatkopar, with slums at foothills. The residents are given notices before every monsoon about the landslide risk. Last year, the number of landslide spots was 287, but still there was no major incident.
The India Meteorological Department has introduced a NowCasting feature wherein people can get weather forecast for the next four hours. SAFAR has decided to set up 15 new automated weather systems in the city to help people get location-specific weather details.
