Kurla, Parel will get max pumps to stop flooding

Mumbai: The city’s most flood-prone areas, Kurla and Parel will have the maximum number of dewatering pumps installed to prevent waterlogging. The BMC has decided to install 279 dewatering pumps across the low-lying spots at the cost of Rs 54 crore during the monsoon. “Kurla and Parel will have 26 and 23 dewatering pumps respectively. For the first time, dewatering pumps will also be installed in civic hospitals. The KEM Hospital will have two pumps, whereas Lokmanya Tilak Hospital at Sion will have three pumps,” said a senior civic official.

The BMC will spend Rs 54 crore to hire 279 dewatering pumps from 14 contractors from May 25 to October 15. For pumps with the capacity of discharging 60 cubic metres of water per hour, Rs 750 will be paid for one shift. The BMC will spend Rs 1107, Rs 1926 and Rs 2007 for pumps with the capacity of 125, 175 and 250 cubic metres per hour respectively. Last year, the BMC had installed 295 pumps at 270 water-logging spots in the city.

The BMC has also decided to appoint a new contractor for the maintenance and repairs of Irla pumping station. According to civic officials, the seven-year maintenance contract of Irla pumping station has come to an end and a new contractor will be appointed at the cost of Rs 39 crore.

Last year, due to negligence of contractor, Irla pumping station was shut down during the heavy rainfall in September. On September 19, 2017, when the city received 303 mm of incessant rains, areas like Juhu, JVPD, Milan Subway and some parts of Vile Parle and Santacruz, which comes under the influence of Irla pumping station, were flooded.