Hindmata to get some relief this monsoon

Lockdown, shortage of workers hinders project completion, but expect less flooding after June 12 this year

Conservancy workers clearing a choked drain near Hindmata junction.

The Hindmata junction at Parel, notorious for its monsoon flooding, will get partial relief this year, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) completing most of the work on a project that will allow flood water to drain faster. One of the planned works, however, could not be executed due to the lockdown.

Every year, the monsoon inundates the saucer-shaped junction, causing untold misery to pedestrians and motorists. Till a decade ago, rainwater would not recede at this crucial junction for six to 12 hours.

After the newly-constructed Britannia pumping station too failed to give relief, a three-fold plan was chalked out to prevent flooding. This includes enlargement of a 900-m box drain at S.S. Rao Road, augmentation of an underground storm water drain at Chivda Gully through micro-tunneling as well as of an 800-m storm water drain at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road.

The project’s largest component was the work on the 800-m drain, which started in January 2018. It was supposed to be completed last year but remained pending for want of permission from the Tree Authority. With the permission in, the work is now complete. However, the work at Chivda Gully, which was to have ended by April-end, has faced delay for want of labour.

“Work is on in full swing. We are expecting it to be completed by June 12 at best. It will certainly provide relief this monsoon and water will recede much faster as compared to last year. Had there been no lockdown, the entire project would have been complete,” said Swapnaja Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner of F South ward who conducted a site visit on Monday.

Besides this, work on about 250-m of the box drain at S.S. Rao Road is yet to be done. It had to be stopped in April, again for want of labourers, even though pre-monsoon work was allowed during the lockdown. Work will only be completed by next year.

“About 90% work on Hindmata junction is complete. There will definitely be relief this monsoon,” said P. Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner.

Receding of flood water at the junction depends on several factors such as rainfall, high tide, desilting, flooding in neighbouring Byculla among other factors. Construction of a satellite pumping station that is closer to Hindmata — since Britannia pumping station is around six km away — is a proposed solution but is not on the cards.