Byculla cops hit the ramp to tackle flooding

The ramp the Byculla cops were forced to set up this year. Pic/Ashish Raje

The cops at Byculla station dread the monsoon. So do most Mumbaikars, but for these cops even one hour of rain means they have to spend the rest of the day in ankle or knee deep water. Fed up of the inconvenience, this year the cops have placed a two-and-a-half-foot high makeshift ramp in the hope of overcoming the problem. Owing to the police station's heritage status, neither the cops nor the civic body can alter the construction to avoid water flooding the premises. Cops now hope that the ramp will ensure they don't have to wade through water all day on rainy days.

Located at Byculla junction, the police station was built in 1924. The ground plus one structure is made by wood and rocks. Every monsoon, along with Hindmata, Byculla police station gets severely waterlogged. On June 6, this year, the station house, the cabin of senior police inspector and the entire ground floor of the police station had got flooded with knee deep water. Water-logging also affects the furniture and the functioning of electronic equipment at the police station.

"During the monsoon every year, the premises get flooded at least 4-5 times, which causes serious damage to property and hampers day-to-day working of the police station. As the police station is located a little below road level, rain water starts immediately starts clogging the police station," said a police officer from Byculla police station on condition of anonymity.

"This water-logging has also resulted in skin diseases for some policemen, because it takes more than six hours for the water to recede," another officer said. Dinesh Kadam, senior inspector, Byculla police station, said, "Even if it rains for an hour, the police station area starts getting flooded. This year, to make it easy for both cops and citizens to at least enter the police station, we have set up this makeshift ramp. It can be moved as and when necessary," he added.

2.5ft
Height of the ramp at Byculla police station

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