Residents protest against 15 uncleaned nullahs in Borivali and Dahisar
This will lead to severe waterlogging, making the area resemble Vihar Lake during the monsoon. The ongoing Metro work by MMRDA has raised the height of the service road, causing water from Dahisar flyover to flood Anand Nagar. With incomplete works, we anticipate a disaster
Mumbai: As the monsoon season approaches, fear of flooding looms large in Borivali and Dahisar areas with over nullahs leading to several neighbourhoods that have not been desilted yet. Residents are raising alarms over waterlogging and flood-like situations as they say that as many as 15 nullahs need cleaning at the earliest.
Rajesh Pandya, a resident of Dahisar, expressed his frustrations, stating, “Based on our inspection, 15 nullahs in Borivali and Dahisar that have not been cleaned. BMC officials showcased only the cleaned Narendra Park nullah to CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday. However, at Jyoti Industrial Estate and Ashish Complex, mangroves have grown unchecked.”
Pandya said there are large complexes with drain pipes not connected to nullahs at locations such as Bhablipada, Anand Nagar, BMC Market, and RM Society complex up to the Metro station junction and Dahisar flyover bridge.
“This will lead to severe waterlogging, making the area resemble Vihar Lake during the monsoon. The ongoing Metro work by MMRDA has raised the height of the service road, causing water from Dahisar flyover to flood Anand Nagar. With incomplete works, we anticipate a disaster,” he said.
Pandya also highlighted the disruption of traffic on the Dahisar flyover due to waterlogging, forcing residents to wake up at night to manage the situation.
“The roads are being concretised, and it’s impossible to meet the May 31 deadline to finish the roadworks. The dug-up roads will further exacerbate the waterlogging issues,” he added.
Jayant Jadhav, president of the Guru Kripa Welfare Society at Bhablipada in Dahisar East, echoed these concerns. “There is one major Bhablipada nullah affecting over 1,200 huts and around 4,000 residents. Every year, we face severe waterlogging. The contractor who is constructing a retaining wall for railway safety has dumped sand and plastic into the nullah. During rains, this plastic returns to the nullah, choking the flow of rainwater,” Jadhav explained.
The BMC had issued a circular on May 22, mandating ward officers to video-record covered roadside drains and culverts after desilting works. “CCTV footage should be captured to demonstrate that the drain barrels have been completely desilted,” the circular stated.
The circular, issued by the chief engineer of stormwater drains, clarified that during review meetings held by the municipal commissioner to assess desilting progress, the additional municipal commissioner (AMC) for western suburbs directed that CCTV video recordings should be made post-desilting of roadside drains and culverts.
Nainish Vengurlekar, assistant commissioner, R north ward said, “While we regularly clean the nullahs, it is the people who clog them by throwing garbage.There is drain work in progress since two months and to eliminate flooding in those areas, the storm water drain department has started work on war footing.The nullahs will be restored in eight days.”
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