City: Mumbai

Kranti Nagar, an informal settlement in Kandivali East, is not an area you would expect to be flooded so heavily during every monsoon. It has none of the features that typically characterise areas prone to waterlogging in Mumbai: low-lying, close to the coast, concretised, with scarce greenery around. Instead, it is quite the opposite. The informal settlement begins in forest land, at the foothills of the 103.84 sq km Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). It is on an incline, till it meets the more-or-less even terrain of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) territory. While you would expect waterlogging on this flat-landing…

Public transport in Mumbai has a reputation for providing long, arduous and uncomfortable commute, but some transport authorities in Mumbai have tried to change that. Without an iota of doubt, we can proclaim that multitasking is a common, inevitable feature of modern urban life. The pandemic has lent further credence to the fact. Instead of being alienated individuals going through the routine motion of daily travel, commuters are now looking to engage themselves to reduce distraction and enhance the enjoyability of their ride to and from the office.  Specifically, in current times, they would love to to utilise their travel…

Mumbai has more than 100 flood-prone areas and around 300 landslide-prone areas vulnerable to the monsoons. According to the Vulnerability Assessment of the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), 35.3% of the city’s population are at risk of being exposed to floods, since they are within 250 metres of the hotspots. Monsoon preparedness measures attempt to lower the risk and loss of life in case of heavy rains and potential hazards. “The task of disaster management is to give relief,” says Prabhat Rahangdale, former deputy municipal commissioner (disaster management). “When disaster does strike, it is preemptive preparation that makes the most difference.”  That…

Mahim Church in Mumbai aims to go carbon neutral within 2 years St. Michael Church in Mahim, one of Mumbai's oldest churches aims to go carbon neutral within the next two years, a decision in line with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP). A greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory analysis was conducted to accurately assess how they can cut back on emissions.  According to environmental engineer Emmanuel D’Silva, Mahim church emitted a total of 44 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq) emissions in 2021, which can be taken as its annual baseline. “Not surprisingly, electricity consumption was the…

This monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to help Mumbaikars brace themselves for days of heavy rain through a disaster management app. Accurate information and warnings are of utmost importance at such times, as they can help people make better decisions about their safety. The mobile application Disaster Management BMC, available on both iOS and Android, will be relaunched to keep citizens informed about the state of monsoon. It was first launched in 2016 but failed to reach the masses. Through this app, areas likely to be waterlogged will be flagged anywhere between six to 72 hours in advance,…

Mumbai, being a coastal city, witnesses flooding in vulnerable areas every monsoon. These floods cause much damage to roads, resulting in serious road safety concerns.  According to the Maharashtra Highway Safety Patrol, between January to April, out of the total 19,383 road accidents that occurred in the state 5,333 were fatal and 9,120 people were injured. More than 45% of these were in Mumbai. The transport department attributes this to ongoing metro work and the state of roads - potholes, barricades etc. Ahead of the monsoon season, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is completing pre-monsoon work that will mitigate the…

Tanker water supply, a crucial supplementary source of water for Mumbaikars, could soon become costlier with the implementation of new restrictions on groundwater abstraction. Though the restrictions were introduced way back in September 2020, their implementation was delayed because of clout enjoyed by the water tanker lobby and the city’s heavy dependence on the tanker water supply. Now, tanker owners have to get permission for extracting groundwater for domestic and commercial use. If the rules are not complied with, penalties and police cases follow. How did they go about implementing restrictions? Earlier, in February 2022, officials of the Central Ground…

Depleting groundwater levels across India has been a cause of concern for a long time. To address this, in September 2020, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the union government’s Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation introduced new guidelines for bulk water suppliers - chiefly applicable to tanker water suppliers.   In a public notice issued in newspapers, the ministry explained that the nationwide restrictions were introduced for regulation and control of groundwater development and management and to issue necessary regulatory directions.  How did the restrictions affect Mumbai? This led to chaos in Mumbai as the city depends on…

Lakhs of litres of water in Mumbai extracted without NOC According to documents obtained by groundwater activist Sureshkumar Dhoka, through RTI, major infrastructure and redevelopment projects in the city were extracting lakhs of litres of water daily without a No Objection Certificate (NOC). The documents outline that, until now, the Central Government Authority (CGWA) has not extended powers to any state agency to issue NOCs to well and tank owners and fine them in case of breach of law. As per guidelines to obtain a NOC for extraction of water, a well or tank owner must have ownership of about 200 square…

On May 27th, Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai experienced a power cut that lasted almost 38 hours, causing chaos in the market on a hot summer day. Lights went out at 7 pm and returned on May 29th early morning at 4 am. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) attributed this power cut to a faulty underground line.  India generates a total of 2.75 lakh megawatts of electricity every day, and the current per capita electricity requirement in Mumbai is about 1000 kilowatt. Growing power needs become worrisome when we’re facing a climate crisis head on, from the extreme heat to…