Will BMC’s Rs 33 crore plan stop Milan subway from drowning?

One of the tanks that has come up near Hindmata to keep the junction flood-free

A storage tank that can hold about two crore litres of water is the solution BMC has planned to prevent flooding at the Milan subway. The tank will be modelled on the two storage pits that the civic body has built at Dadar and Parel to make Hindmata junction flood-free. The tank near the Milan subway will cost an estimated Rs 33 crore.

The BMC constructed a tank at Pramod Mahajan Kala Park in Dadar West and another at the St Xavier Ground in Parel last year.

Officials inspect a storage tank meant to drain water from the Hindmata junction that always floods during the monsoon

The idea behind the underground tanks was to hold the floodwater until it could be released as the city's stormwater network becomes temporarily ineffective if there is a heavy downpour coupled with high tide.

The BMC is working to increase the capacity of the Dadar tank to 6 crore litres and the one at Parel to 4 crore litres. It will spend about Rs 200 crore on
the project.

The BMC will now replicate the model for the Milan subway which lies between Vile Parle and Santacruz. A chronic flooding spot, the underpass often throws traffic off kilter during heavy rain. As per the plan, the BMC will build an underground tank with a volume of 2 crore litres at the adjacent municipal ground. The work order for the Rs 33-crore project was released on Monday.

"Digging and construction of the holding tank will be completed before the monsoon. The remaining work of slab [cover] over the tank and other works will be carried out during or after the rainy season. It will help drain the water from the Milan subway and it is enough to keep the road flood-free.

There is no need to construct another tank or increase the capacity later on," said Bhagwant Late, deputy chief engineer of the Storm Water Drainage department.

Rs 33cr
Cost of Milan subway tank