The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to install flood gauges with sensors across the city to measure waterlogging levels during the monsoon. Initially, the civic body will install these flood gauges at around 100 locations. The project is likely to be kicked off this monsoon.
According to officials from the BMC, there is no mechanism at present to understand the level of floods in Mumbai. As per the data available, there are 386 flooding spots in Mumbai; BMC has taken mitigation measures at 280 of these spots. The work on tackling the remaining flooding spots is in progress, officials said.
The instrument would help the BMC plan and tackle flooding more effectively, they added.
The project will help the corporation in collecting localised data such as level of waterlogging in the area, time taken for the water to recede, amount of rainfall in that particular area with time, among others. Based on the data, the enhancement of storm water drainage system and other measures can be undertaken.
“The flood gauge sensors will help us with much-needed data that can be helpful in planning. We are in the process of finalizing the agency for the work,” said P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects).
The sensors can send alerts to the civic body’s Disaster Management Cell about the flood level in a particular area.
Currently, the BMC has installed flood gauge sensors in Mithi River. Officials said that for this monsoon, the BMC will also deploy 380 de-watering pumps across the city.
Earlier, the BMC had said that considering the geographical challenges in Mumbai, flooding will not be eliminated completely but the time of rainwater receding can be improved with better planning. Data with BMC shows that out of total 186 storm water drain outfalls that discharge in Arabian sea and creek, only six are above sea level.
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