The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared a Rs 7,345.9-crore flood-control programme for Mumbai under the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP), aimed at reducing the city’s vulnerability to monsoon flooding, particularly in low-lying areas.
The plan follows Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s announcement of a Rs 13,000-crore integrated flood-control master plan for Mumbai. Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said the larger Rs 13,000-crore outlay includes taxes and three projects already under implementation — the Mogra and Mahul pumping stations and Mithi River rejuvenation works.
The BMC’s proposed works will receive 40% funding from the Centre and will be undertaken with guidance from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Maharashtra government.
Three Packages Planned
The civic body plans to appoint consultants to prepare detailed designs and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) at an estimated cost of Rs 110.2 crore.
The works have been divided into three packages. Package P1, estimated at Rs 2,194 crore, will focus on nature-based flood management and stormwater infrastructure. It includes bio-retention systems, bioswales, sponge parks, green corridors, permeable pavements, detention and infiltration tanks, and measures to improve drainage flow.
Package P2, worth about Rs 2,142.5 crore, will cover automated flood-protection gates and coastal embankments.
The largest, Package P3, is estimated at Rs 3,009.35 crore. It includes a proposed Rs 500-crore stormwater and pumping station at Andheri subway, along with Rs 2,509.9 crore for widening and strengthening nullahs across Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs and the island city.
Surveys and Technology
Consultants will conduct topographical, hydrological and geotechnical surveys, groundwater monitoring and, where necessary, bathymetric studies. They will also examine soil permeability, drainage capacity, flood patterns and tidal backflow.
The programme proposes using digital twins, GIS, remote sensing, IoT-based monitoring, SCADA, artificial intelligence and decision-support systems.
Mumbai receives around 2,500 mm of annual rainfall, while flooding is influenced by intense downpours, high tides, storm surges, low-lying reclaimed areas and shrinking drainage channels.
Officials said the blueprint has been under preparation for over a year, beginning with an NDMA meeting on March 12, 2025, followed by site visits and a presentation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Source: Times of India
