The construction of underground water storage tanks to tackle flooding in the infamous Hindmata and Parel area will be over by end of this year. However, with the ongoing construction work, the Hindmata area is unlikely to get respite from flooding, this monsoon too.

According to an official from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the additional work on tanks’ capacity expansion has pushed the deadline further. Mumbai suburban guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday inspected the construction of an underground water storage tank at St Xavier’s Ground to store rainwater at Hindmata.

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With work still being carried out, it is unlikely that tanks will be used for this monsoon. Officially, the four-month monsoon season commences in the city in June. To resolve flooding at Hindmata, the BMC’s Storm Water Drain (SWD) department is constructing two underground water tanks – one below Pramod Mahajan Kala Park in Dadar west and another below St Xavier’s Ground in Parel.

According to the plan, the excess rainwater accumulated at Hindmata will be diverted into these tanks. After the rain subsides, the water from the tanks will be pumped out into the nullah. “We have decided to expand the capacity of these tanks. The work will be finished by this year-end,” said P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects).

Officials are checking the feasibility of partially using these tanks for the upcoming monsoon. However, since the construction work for expansion is still on it would be challenging, an official from SWD added.

While speaking to the media in June 2021, when it took over 12 hours for floodwater to recede from the Hindamata area, Municipal Commissioner IS Chahal had said, “Just eight days back, we have received permission to lay the underground water pipelines below Tata mills (at Parel), which will carry floodwater from Hindamata to the two underground water tanks, which are 1-1.5km away. It will take another 30 days to complete the work, after which the flooding woes of the area will be resolved. In July- August rain, the project’s result will be seen.”

According to the old plan, the tank at Dadar was expected to be made with a storage capacity of 1.5 crore litres of water and 1 core litre in Parel. BMC is now working to increase the capacity of the tank at Dadar to 6 crore litres while St Xavier Ground can store 4 crore litres of water. The expansion proposal was passed by Standing Committee in January this year. Hindmata and Parel are the city’s chronic and oldest flooding spots. Every year in monsoon the areas are waterlogged for hours.

Meanwhile, the BMC said that this year flooding spots in Mumbai remain at 386 like the last year. “We have taken up several works to mitigate the flooding spots. We have two months before rains arrive and many pending works will be cleared till then,” said a BMC official.

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