Showers expose 59 new flood-prone spots in SoBo

The season's first downpour in Mumbai on Monday exposed 59 locations in the island city that experienced waterlogging for the first time ever.

- Linah Baliga

MUMBAI: These areas, previously unaffected since the devastating Mumbai floods of July 26, 2005, have emerged as red flags, leaving worried citizens demanding answers.

A breakdown shows that A Ward (Fort-Colaba) received flooding complaints from 22 new locations, while B Ward (Dongri) saw 21. C Ward (Marine Lines) reported nine new flood-prone spots, D Ward (Malabar Hill) four, and E Ward (Byculla) three.

Residents and commercial establishments in these traditionally dry areas are dismayed, even as the civic administration is struggling to explain the emergence of these new flood-prone spots. Some of the areas are: Second and Fourth Pasta Lanes in Colaba, Metro Cinema, Crawford Market, Captain Pethe Marg in Cuffe Parade, Nehru Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Mantralaya, Churchgate station and DN Road.

A flood-prone spot, according to the civic authorities, is a low-lying area prone to prolonged waterlogging during moderate to heavy rainfall.