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Sustaining and improving halcrow.comhalcrow.com the quality of people’s lives Cover page was taken from: www.realestatesizzle.com Drainage from T i m e s B. C.
e read about civilizations, civilizations storey residential architecture, and the earliest Wthat existed once, but are lost - some evidences of provision of public amenities such as submerged under the great oceans on a sewerage and drainage system. Most houses earth and some entered the womb of earth. Out in Mohenjodaro had bathrooms, some inclusive of them there are some civilizations which of latrines, built on the street side of the building. flourished and then vanished, leaving epics of their The water-discharge sluices from the houses first glorious past but with no successor to inherit the collected dirt in small cesspits (the ancient version knowledge. of our present day septic tanks and grit chambers) lined with tightly sealed bricks at the base of the We credit civic hygiene and modern sanitation to walls from which dirty water was led to the main the communitarian sensibilities of the society drains running through the middle of the street conscious, urban city man. But such concepts as covered with flat stones and tile bricks. Apparently ‘civic sense’ and ‘urban development’ that are so these cesspits were cleaned out from time to time, intrinsic to our smug belief in the modernity of as were the settling basins or soakage pits present-day settlements are not as original as we located along the street drains. The covered would like to believe. Evidence from civilizations drains were connected to the larger sewerage that date back to nearly five thousand years ago provides proof for the earliest systems of public works and civic amenities. So how ‘modern’ were our ancients?
In terms of town planning and engineering, the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro of the Indus Valley Civilization (dated around 2750 B.C.) can perhaps be considered as two of man’s great civilizational treasures. Excavations reveal well- walled orderly cities with spacious, often two-
YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 Drainage Channel of 2 The civilisation Taken from: www.mohenjodaro.net outlets (also covered), which finally let the dirty Some houses in Harappa also had rubbish chutes water outside the inhabited area. Where baths built into the walls descending from the upper and latrines were located on the upper floor they floors at the foot of which were bins at the street were drained usually by vertical terra-cotta pipes level. with closely fitting spigot joints set in the building wall. These pipes can be seen as the earliest Archaeological excavations bring to surface the version of the modified vitrified clay spigot-and- sketch of some of the earliest planned cities put socket sewer pipes. Every lane and street had together with elegant innovation by some of the at least one drainage channel covered with brick world’s first civil engineers. And it is all thanks to or stone tiles that could be lifted. The drains were them I can flush without a worry! usually 18 inches to 24 inches below the street level, and varied in dimensions from 12 inches “Is it just a quirk of fate that the country which deep and 9 inches wide to about 24 inches deep formulated the urban plan is facing problems like and 18 inches wide. flood and famine due to inadequate planning? “
Priest King from Indus JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOWValley Civilisation 3 TakenThePriest fromPriest geocities.comKing King From of Indus Valley The civilisationcivilisation TakenTaken from:from: www.mohenjodaro.netwww.mohenjodaro.net Identity, something which distinguishes ‘man’ from up my space and restricted me to a small nallah. I ‘person’, something a man toils all his life for, am constricted to a third of my original width. something which gives one a feeling of self- Besides this, the pollution has reached an accomplishment and something which minority alarming stage causing threat to marine life. always fears to be trodden by majority. So what if I struggle to survive and in due course men loose I am river always taught to flow. Life that bloomed their lives? inside my water was dying. River where oyster beds used to spawn echoed with mourn of fishes. By now you might be inquisitive to make out who Deep inside an urge to get my identity back I am and what I am talking about. No not a developed. City could be the worst but how could revolutionist or reformer trying to change this I be appalling. I decided to forewarn. June 1985 world. Not even an influential politician attempting and then again 13 July 2000, Mumbai recorded to grab few more votes. I am a river, river who exceptionally heavy rainfall: Vasai 49, Thane 45, witnessed birth of a city at its bank. Like a mother Santa Cruz 37 and Colaba 25 cm. . Flood was I nurtured the city to prosper and thrive. In dry reported in Mithi River. Vihar and Tulsi lakes provided them water. Then the rain came, I overflowed, causing damage to 240 families diverted the inundation. Offered exquisite staying in encroachments along the Mithi. But city landscape to relax as the city grew arduous and was in deep slumber;I decided to wake them up. antsy. For this entire benevolence city gave me my name MITHI meaning sweet. 26 June 2005: heavy downpour in Mumbai. A “tropical depression” wedged itself over the But gradually city grew inconsiderate. For all my central-northern suburbs, and above the Mithi kinds they started dumping toxic chemicals in me. River. By the end of the first week, the official death They started using me to discharge raw sewage, toll was 500, though many put it close to 1,000. I industrial waste and garbage and encroached attracted city’s attention. Consequently, Mithi upon by illegal buildings and official reclamation. restoration plan came out for implementation Illegal activities of washing of oily drums, under MRDPA5 created specifically for its discharge of unauthorized hazardous waste are development. Remedial efforts and reforms of also carried out along my course. Construction of government have given me a optimism that life airport wall and the Mahim causeway have eaten will again bloom and I will get my identity back.
4 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 Tracing Mithi Sattelite View of The River Which has remainedTracing noMithi more than a nallah Sattelite View of The RiverCourtesy: which Google.com has remained no more than a nallah Courtesy: Google Mithi Near The Airport The state has also proposed erecting a wall so the airport runway can remain clear during monsoon. The river runs right below the runway. Taken From The Hindu
Old days will be back. Migratory birds will come to a once-in-50-yrs-rainfall (382.5 mm per hour) again. I will feel my life again and Mumbai will love or once-in-100-yrs-rainfall (418.3 mm per hour) me again. averaged throughout the stream length, will cause severe flooding in surrounding areas. The initial The Mithi is a confluence of tail water discharges reaches of the river (until it reaches the Santa from Powai and Vihar lakes. Originating at Powai, Cruz Airport) are narrow and steep, causing swift the Mithi flows through Saki Naka, Safed Pool, discharge of water. The downstream segments, around Santacruz airstrip, passing through thickly in contrast, have flat slopes. Though the river in populated and industrial areas like Jarimari, Bail these reaches opens up a little, the increase in Bazar, old airport road, Kalina (CST road), Vakola, width is not enough to prevent water from Bandra-Kurla complex and Dharavi, before meeting accumulating. A constricted passageway, absence the Arabian Sea at Mahim creek, completing a of holding ponds and increased runoff, all thanks journey 17.9 kilometers long that doesn’t quite to widespread ‘development’ and continuing qualify it as the world’s shortest river! concretization of open spaces, make matters worse. Maximum discharge possible without causing any spill over of 50 cumecs, a discharge corresponding Experts opine that the river bed upstream of the
6 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 Board (MPCB) surveyed Kherani Road area in Saki Naka. Officers were greeted by large volumes of poisonous wastes and plastics choking open storm water drains and foul smelling waters flowing onto the street in several places. The survey found hundreds of illegal units involved in cleaning plastic, recycling lead from batteries and manufacturing dyes - all processes that give out harmful effluents. To make a start, MPCB issued show cause notices to a handful of worst offenders and later backed it up with summons to a hearing. None of the respondents appeared at the hearing. When MPCB officials went back to the site, they realized that the fly-by-night operators had shifted base out of their earlier shack and now possibly worked from another gala in the same market place.
Unable to deal with small time crooks, the MPCB The illegal commercial units on the banks of passed the buck to the Brihanmumbai Municipal the Mith i river The illegal commercial units on the banks of Taken From The Hindu the Mithi river Corporation (BMC). The coorporation however Taken From The Hindu was not able to demolish the structures as the shacks themselves were legal while the operators carrying out illegal operations were CST Bridge should be deepened by 2 meters to tenants. A mere technicality and lack of inter- slow down discharge in the upper reaches and departmental co-ordination is poisoning the lives increase the river’s holding capacity. of thousands in Saki Naka till today even. Scores of such cases are pending before the judiciary Saki Naka is the river’s entry point to the city. A where the defaulters fight for time and the lot of the Mithi’s worries begin in Saki Naka, an administrators appear laidback. The river official green belt that swarms with hundreds of meanwhile rots. unauthorized industrial units that produce harmful chemical effluents. IIT Bombay, after a Illegal hutments proliferate along the banks of study carried out in 2005, reported the entire the Mithi, particularly in its middle reaches. The river stretch to be contaminated by heavy metals. river has been squeezed tight on both sides. A number of citizens, NGOs and politicians have Devoid of a flood plain, the littlest unforeseen made efforts to clean and maintain this water rainfall causes chaos. The river needs body, but with little success. Acting on complaints desperately to be widened, and for that the from locals, the Maharashtra Pollution Control slums will have to go.
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 7 Mumbai Flood “Act of God or Inaction of Human” Taken from: irevolution.wordpress.com 26th July 2005, Mumbai recorded it’s highest- operations in Mumbai’s suburbs. Kalina went ever rainfall in a single day. As the statisticians under water on 26th night. Two teams of naval put the now famous but then mind-boggling figure divers were sent by road to the area. In many of 944 mm, one realises the hollowness of our parts of Mumbai, naval helicopters were used to very own achievements. Meteorologists went into drop food. Naval boats and diving teams were a huddle, BMC started digging its trenches, also standing by to assist in Karanja north of “experts” haplessly grappled with facts, news Mumbai. channels promptly thrashed any official they could Transport statistics of the city lay their hands on, and everyone felt it was best 52 local trains damaged to leave the people of Mumbai to their own devices. 37,000 rickshaws & 4,000 taxis spoilt 900 BEST buses damaged Santa Cruz, in north Mumbai, recorded a rainfall 10,000 trucks and tempos stranded of 94.4 cm on 26th July. Rainfall over Vihar Lake was 105 cm. The previous record of heaviest 24- Mumbai’s vital systems got a severe trounce. hour rainfall over Mumbai was 58 cm for Santa Majority of railway tracks were submerged in Cruz. Although Colaba, in Mumbai’s southern tip water. Many long distance trains got cancelled recorded just 7.3 cm, the rainfall which was in no else halted or terminated at nearby secure cities way atypical. like Valsad in gujrat. Of the 2,412 city buses, another lifeline of the city, only 394 plied. Flights Low lying areas of the city were as good as a could not land in the city. For the first time ever, part of the sea. The Eastern and Western Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar Expressways could easily have been mistaken for and Juhu aerodrome were shut for more than 30 rivers. Slums were converted to ponds. The Mithi hours due to water logging water logging of the River was flooded and water gushed into the runways and extremely poor visibility. Over 700 surrounding regions. People waded through flights were cancelled or delayed. Mumbai-Pune water or were forced to remain in water for many Expressway witnessed a number of landslides hours. The water-logging affected transport and and was closed for 24 hours. electric supply and disrupted the daily life for the next seven days. It was estimated that at least The financial cost of flood was unprecedented and 3 million citizens remained in contact with at least it caused a stoppage of entire commercial, knee-deep water for over one hour. For the very trading, and industrial activity for days. The floods first time, the Navy has had to step in for rescue caused a loss around Rs. 450 crores. The financial
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 9 impact of the floods was manifested in a variety of ways. The state government declared the 27th and 28th July as a public holiday. In Mumbai, ATM of several banks like SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank and HSBC stopped functioning. ATM operations outside Mumbai were also severely hit due to connectivity failure with their central systems located in Flood Snaps after 26/7 Mumbai. The Bombay Stock Exchange Taken from Mumbai77.com and the National Stock Exchange of India could function only partially. As most of the trading is e-Trading, trading terminals of the brokerage houses across the country remained largely inoperative.
Many experts claimed that an offshore vortex could be the possible underlying cause. But the QuikSCAT satellite observed no offshore vortex. Later on it was realized to be a unique type of cloudburst. Here the question arises “why was it that the Indian Meteorology department (IMD) could not predict this “event?” As per IMD officials they lacked sophisticated Doppler radars which would have given 3 hour prior warning. Without this equipment they could do is what we call time-now-casting. There is no forecasting. At the most, it can be detected about an hour before. That is what they did on that day also. All this is happening in a country where 60% people are dependent on agriculture and, hence, the rains for a living.
How is it that every year Mumbai ends up getting flooded? Mumbai had had a similar experience with unrelenting rainfall in 1974, compared to which only Santacruz received a high amount of rainfall, which reveals the fact that it was not as much the rains as the inundation caused by them which caused widespread water-logging. Still there are many reasons, apart from the government’s droopiness. Following are a few of these reasons:
Antiquated drainage system
The present storm-water drainage system in Mumbai was put in place in the early 20th century and is capable of carrying only 25 millimetres of water per hour which was extremely inadequate on a day when 944 mm of rain fell in the city. The drainage system is also clogged at several places. Only 3 ‘outfalls’ (ways out to the sea) are equipped with floodgates whereas the remaining 102 open directly
10 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 Flood Snaps after 26/7 Taken from Mumbai77.com into the sea. As a result, there is no way to stop destroyed and replaced with construction. the seawater from rushing into the drainage Hundreds of acres of swamps in Mahim creek have system during high tide. been reclaimed and put to use for construction by builders. These ecosystems serve as a buffer In 1990, an ambitious plan was drawn to overhaul between land and sea. It is estimated that the city’s storm water drainage system which had Mumbai has lost about 40% of its mangroves not been reviewed till now. A project costing between 1995 and 2005, some to builders and approximately 600 crore rupees was proposed some to encroachment (slums). Sewage and by UK based consultants hired by the BMC. garbage dumps have also destroyed mangroves. Implementation of the project would have The Bandra-Kurla complex in particular was ensured that rainwater did not flood the streets created by replacing such swamps. The most of Mumbai. The project was planned to have acclaimed Mindscape CBD (INORBIT MALL) in Malad completed by 2002 and aimed to enhance the has been built by destructing the large patch of drainage system through larger diameter storm Mangroves. Large slum colonies have encroached water drains and pipes, using pumps wherever upon the storm water drains and the necessary and removing encroachments. The project, if implemented would have doubled the Mumbai is the city where highest tax revenue is storm water carrying capacity to 50 mm per hour. generated. But that seems to make no difference The BMC committee had rejected the proposed to the plights of Mumbaikars. One wonders where project on the grounds that it was “too costly”. all the tax has gone. Looks like the Municipal Corporation and the Government got dissolved Uncontrolled development in Northern Suburbs in rain. As always, the brave populace are saving
Unlike South Mumbai, development in northern the city, not the state government and its million suburbs of Mumbai is haphazard and buildings and one “infrastructure projects”, not the central are constructed without proper planning. The government with its “Mumbai ko Shanghai banana drainage plans in northern suburbs is chalked out hai” plank. as and when required in a particular area and In the light of all that happened on that day, some not from an overall point of view.The Environment would consider it insanely optimistic to even hope Ministry of the Government of India was informed for a silver lining in dark clouds, including the big in the early 1990s that sanctioning Bandra-Kurla one that burst right over the airport- The Spirit of complex was leading to disaster. No environment Mumbai. The indomitable, undying, omnipresent clearance is mandatory for large construction spirit of Mumbai, found everywhere-from the local projects in north Mumbai. Officials in environment trains to the BEST buses to the homes of all those ministry claimed that it was not practical to impose living in Mumbai, and proudly carrying the tag of new guidelines with retrospective effect “as there “Mumbaikar” making the city equally proud of are millions of buildings”. them. Consider these accounts:
Destruction of mangrove ecosystems “We reached the main road where I saw the spirit
Mangrove ecosystem which once existed along of Mumbai. And once again I was proud of being the Mithi River and Mahim Creek is being a part of this city. The traffic was at a standstill.
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 11 Mumbai under inches of water Taken from: www.webshots.com
There was complete chaos but the Mumbai cops Employees walked for hours to reach home. were not giving up. They still continued to direct People distributed tea, biscuits and wada pavs traffic.” to the hungry people, obviously free of cost. People gave shelter to strangers in their houses. “There were more people walking on the road than Which other city in the world can boast of such inside cars or buses. Mahim Causeway was citizens? The Mumbai tragedy was followed closely flooded. The water level was so high that we could by the New Orleans hurricane “Katrina”. And the reach out and touch it. But the flood of people number of crimes horrific crimes of rape, dacoity walking eclipsed the floods. They were laughing, and murder committed in that city under siege was singing, dancing and no one was complaining.” appalling. Contrast this with the absence of any
“There were young men on the streets keeping such case in Mumbai. people away from potholes and gutters. They were And those who could have helped, helped in dripping wet but looking after strangers. A few men tremendous ways. On 26/7, the radio, the city’s directed us into the fishermen colony on the pulse of entertainment, became the only source Causeway. They told us it would be better than of information and medium for people who were the main road. So we followed the crowd.” stuck in their cars, or buses. Private FM stations
This is what makes Mumbai the commercial capital in Mumbai were on air for 48 hours non-stop of the country. Not the money, but the spirit of its during the Mumbai floods last year, literally people Can one imagine this happening anywhere becoming Mumbai’s communication lifeline. “We else in the world? Nothing stops the Mumbai spirit.” were trying to get people not to panic. We told
12 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 them, ‘Yes there is water, you’re stuck, it’s going to take a while for you to reach home. With not a single song request on that day, all four private FM stations operating in Mumbai provided information on traffic snarls, which junctions should be avoided and assuming the role of morale boosters, even if it meant bypassing the rule of not being allowed to transmit news.
“For people out there, the radio was the only source of information, we bypassed the rule and transmitted news,” said an RJ with Radiocity. The
radio fans not only passed on news across the world to Taken from: delhigreens.com near and dear ones, they also helped agencies like the Bombay Municipal Corporation to pick up information across the entire city. The common man’s communication medium has emerged a hero every time Mumbai faces a crisis.
There is no undermining to the unedifying spirit of Mumbaikars, but there is only hope that this “lend a hand” is not restricted only to calamities. What we need today is continuous efforts from Mumbaikars to wake up the government from its deep slumber. We Taken from: delhigreens.com should not need another 26/7 to provoke them. This Mumbaikar should not be lost in the masses following the same pre-
Taken from :www.tropmet.res.in disaster life. Waking
up in the morning, catching up local train, 9-6 job and being exhausted going to bed to get rejuvenated for the same monotonous routine. Then who will have the time to think of what the BMC or the government should or should not be doing.
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 13
Taken from: arvindkelkar.blogspot.com Courtesy: www.smh.com.au
ow much more must be written theirs. Wouldn’t Mumbai be a better place if such and said before a lackadaisical incidents were never allowed to happen? Wouldn’t H administration realizes that something we be more proud of that Mumbai? needs to be done? The same point, the same findings, belabored in report after technical report, In the days that followed the deluge, and hardly any evidence of change. No city in the newspapers, politicians and TV channels went world has a drainage system designed to handle overboard in hailing the city’s spirit. ‘Bombay an unprecedented 944 mm of rainfall in a single bounces back’ was the cliché of the moment. And day - ‘an act of God’, as very rightly said by Vilasrao Bombay did bounce back, what other option was Deshmukh. But is Mumbai equipped to deal with there for the people but to pick up the broken even a regular day of rain? Aren’t the traffic jams, pieces and get on with their lives? So inured have the inundated roads, the choked drains but an we become to tragedy both personal and public annual ritual in the life of the city? Mumbai has that any display of outrage, however legitimate, been subjected to such distress almost every simply evades us. We deserve to be angry, to be other year, albeit a bit severe this time around, downright irate. To demand what went wrong and and every time, unmistakably, similar chains of what is being done to right it. When what we need events have followed. Every other time, a number is some strong medicine we’re offered in its place of innocent lives are devastated for no fault of a placebo: another committee of experts drafted
14 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 to look into the matter. Literature on Mumbai’s they did suggest! Only that they hardly ever woeful drainage system abounds. The solutions became a reality. The fact that some committee are glaringly obvious, what we lack is the will. has been set up to look into a particular problem Given a choice between building a Bandra-Worli is always a highly publicized affair, but the Sea Link and spending the same money on outcome of these committee reports and studies improving the city’s waste-water disposal system, more often than not remains a mystery, even to which political party in power would choose the those directly concerned with implementation of latter? In an uncertain political environment tough recommendations therein, leave alone the decisions are hard to come by. masses. Let us have a look at the various Committees, set up to look into the flooding The latest in a series of high-profile committees problem in Mumbai, and recommendations they was constituted in August 2005, under the made based on fact finding committee report. chairmanship of M.A. Chitale, India’s first recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, the Nobel’s THE NATU COMMITTEE (1975) equivalent in the field of water-related activities, to look into the causes that resulted in the events The first such committee to be set up was the of 26th July. One of the reasons quoted in the Natu committee formed after the floods in 1974 report is the lack of public discussion that most in order to study the problems of the SWD sytems reports preceding this one have generated. The in Mumbai and suggest improvements. Following report says, “Valuable guidance contained in are the major recommendations of this committee: these reports just got lost and failed to orient the concerned population and the citizens at large Some Short Term Measures in the desired direction. It is hoped that this would not be the fate of the report of this Fact Finding 1. Desilting of drains: The committee had laid Committee also.” an emphasis on desilting of the drains in Mumbai especially the ones in the areas
Ironic is the fact that despite there being an IIT which had chronic water clogging problems. Bombay professor on the panel, our source of the Suggestion may seem simple yet till date it repot was BMC engineer oblivious to the explosive has been one of the biggest reasons for nature of the as yet unpublished report’s water clogging in Mumbai. contents. We asked our professors several times, but on each occasion the issue was artfully 2. Encroachments: Removal of encroach- avoided. The government obviously doesn’t wish ments on outfall and drainage channels. for the contents to become public, scathing being the nature of criticism. So, yet another report in a 3. Garbage collection: To amend the bye laws line of many finds its voice choked by red tape. compelling any property holder to construct masonry receptacles for garbage
Invariably after every flooding incident various collectionin order to reduce the nuisance committees have been formed to investigate this of garbage being thrown in various problem and suggest measures. And measures drainage channels.
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 15 Some long term measures Some recommendations of this study were:
1. As long term measured the committee 1. Provide a bed slope of 1:10000 from CST suggested redesigning of various drains, bridge to Mahim causeway which is provision of sluice gates and pumping supposedly done. stations at various regions individually considering their problems. 2. Increase the width of Mithi River at various points along its course. 2. It recommended that all kutcha drains be rebuilt into pucca ones and be provided 3. Installation of sluice gates at Mahim with a runoff of 1.5" at a rainfall intensity Causeway. These gates are proposed to of 40 mm/hr. be shut down during high tide thus allowing the empty reservoir to collect the
3. It was suggested that the bye passes of flood water of rains and then discharge the sewage into storm water drains be collected water during low tide. No action eliminated and and ‘Rational Method’ be had been taken on this issue despite an adopted in design of Storm Water Drains. exclusive committee ( Merwani Committee – 1997 ) having been set up to look into 4. The committee proposed to provide this matter and suggest follow up actions underground storm water drains for and the report being signed by the important roads that carry considerable representatives of all concerned agencies discharge of storm water. like Railways, MCGM, MMRDA, CWPRS etc.
Although most of the short term measures 4. Carry out three years maintenance suggested in the Report were implemented but dredging cycle. This has also been said to provision of sluice gates and pumping stations at be carried out. various outfalls has still been overlooked. Had these provisions been made, the 26/7 flood could 5. The cross drains draining into the Mithi River have been eased to a great extent. should be provided with non return valves.
CENTRAL WATER AND POWER SHAH TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS RESEARCH STATION (CWPRS)-BKC REPORT (1988) ON DHARAVI STORM REPORT -(1978) WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Next in the series of reports was the CWPRS report Storm water from chronic flooding areas like Dadar, which dealt with the requirements of storm water Matunga, Kings Circle, Sion is carried to the outfall system of Bandra Kurla Complex. The alterations in Dhravi and ultimately to Mahim Causeway. The in the course of Mithi river due to the construction STC rport studied the problems of Dharavi th of BKC is largely blamed for the 26 July floods. Catchment area and suggested the reasons for
16 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 flooding and the preventive measures. According BRIMSTOWAD REPORT-(1993) to the STC report, the major reasons for flooding in the Dharavi catchment are as follows: M/s Watson Hawksley International Ltd., U.K. and M/s Associated Industrial Consultants Pvt. Ltd. 1. The insufficient capacity of drainage system were jointly appointed by MCGM in 1990 to closely in the area to carry the storm run-off from look into the issues of SWD system of Mumbai. the aforementioned areas as also the The report has proved to be an important Dharavi area itself. landmark and to this date its implementation or non-implementation continues to make headlines. 2. Most of the Dharavi area is reclaimed and low lying, but hasn’t been provided with The scope of work of these consultancies was drainage facilities accordingly. as follows:
3. The flood waters in Mahim creek reduce the 1. Survey the existing drains and study the discharging capacity of the drainage system deficiencies in the old storm water drains. and the Dharavi area becomes a closed drainage system causing flooding, 2. Identify the difficulties in cleaning and maintaining the old SWD’s. Major recommendations of the report : 3. Review the existing SWD system and 1. Raise the level of the area to such extent suggest revisions, if any, from the so that gravity drainage is permitted or perspective of increasing population and instead pump out the storm water from the prepare a master plan for augmentation area in which the drainage system of the existing system according to the discharges. revised norms.
2. Provide only trunk drains along existing The consultants suggested following 4 step plan drains as per the catchment topography to improve existing system: and design rain intensity. 1. Level 0: No improvement in the system 3. Divide the area into four zones A,B,C and D with each area being handled separately. 2. Level 1: Maintaining the system and preventing further deterioration. Although many of the recommendations of this report have been implemented, Dharavi region 3. Level 2: Fully utilizing the system by has still not been relieved from flooding due to removing all obstructions and augmenting topographical changes occurring in the region and it for rainfall of twice a year storm i.e. consequent irrelevancy of the report. 50mm/hr.
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 17 4. Level 3: Augmenting the system for a rainfall had recommended clearing of the encroachments of once a year storm i.e. 58 mm/hr. on these rivers and their exhaustive dredging. These were the precise reasons which resulted Implementation of first three cases was found in extensive flooding of the Mithi river on 26th July. economically viable hence it was decided that the Had these measures been taken, the misery SWD system would be augmented for a rainfall caused to the people due to this flooding could intensity of twice a year storm. Accordingly various have been substantially mitigated. new drains, diversion and pumping station were proposed in the report, some of which have Milan Subway & Slater road Nana Chowk – already been implemented. (I.I.T. Bombay) (March 2005)
The consultants carried out a cost benefit study M.C.G.M. approached I.I.T. Bombay for a technical and made various recommendations for the opinion for remedial measures proposed to abate improvement of SWD system in Mumbai, some flooding at of which are listed below: 1. Milan Subway, (Santacruz) &
2. Nana Chowk and Slater Road, (Grant Road). 1. Regular desilting and maintenance of drains using modern techniques. IIT Bombay’s Final recommendation for the Milan Subway was for Diversion of flows from Milan 2. Remove the obstructions of cables etc. in Subway through a new pipeline to Nehru Road the SWD system. drop shaft of sewerage system by gravity flow.
3. Remove the encroachment on the IITB also recommended installation of flap gates components of SWD system. at Haji Ali and a Pumping Scheme to pump and divert excess Storm Water from Sleater Road @
4. Augment the present SWD system for a 2.50 M3/s to the sewer (in 1st phase) and in the rainfall of 50 mm/hr with appropriate 2nd phase to the storm water mains Installation consideration being given to tidal effects. of 2 state of art rain gauges in the catchment was This involved various issues like providing also recommended. The diversion work at Milan diversions to shorten the length of flow, subway has been partly done, but works for Slater providing pumping stations to pump out road have not yet been taken up. water from low lying areas, widening and deepening of open storm water channels In addition, there were recommendations from the and augmenting the conveyance system. Paranjape Committee for expediting the Haji Ali bays development with a gated barrage and for
The Brimstowad report also had a specific mention the gated 79barrage across the mouth of the Mithi of Mithi river and its tributary, the Vakola river, river in 1988 and Shah Technical Consultants in clearly stating that these were the major water the year 1997- 98 for the Postal Colony SWD bodies carrying storm water from the suburbs and diversion work.
18 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 After the July 2005 deluge, many more committees and studies followed. These include Study on Flood Mitigation Measures for Dahisar, Oshiwara and Poisar rivers conducted by Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Ltd., 1-D Mathematical Model and Desk Studies for Mitigating floods of Mithi River in Mumbai by CWPRS, Development Action Plan for Environmental Improvement of Mithi River by CESE, IIT Bombay. Each of these reports certain guidelines and recommendation in expectation that they will be implemented in order to protect Mumbai from floods. Only time and the dedication of our public servants would tell as to what extent these expectations would be fulfilled.
The Natu committee report came out at a time when Mumbai was still beginning to expand into the mega city that it is today. Various smaller studies followed the Natu Committee and after thirteen years came the Brimstowad Report. The recommendations of these reports were such that they ensured an optimum functioning of the drainage system. Had they been followed from time to time, the residents of Mumbai might have been saved of the distress that they had to and continue to undergo. Not only that, these reports never even reached those who were directly responsible for the implementation their recommendations. This wiped out any chances of the ground level functionaries taking any sort of initiative in improving the situation. Though the expanse of activities involved in following these reports was huge, no formal monitoring body was set up nor was any formal acceptance or rejection of the recommendations therein made. Right from the Natu Committee to this date, despite recommendations being made in every other report, obstructions in storm water drains due to collection of garbage, encroachments on drains continue to be the primary concerns.
“This article is primarily based on findings of FFC. Part of the content of this article is taken directly from the FFC report Vol 1”
than
done BETTER A THESIS
greed that Government’s penny pinching immersing Holy Idol in some water body after Aand neglect have left us woefully Ganesh Chaturthi with great gusto and unprepared to face a frequently flooded vehemence without thinking of its ecological future, but blaming everything to them is like consequences? Better than looking forward to running away from our own responsibilities. Is some committee for solution, we should put in government really accountable for dumping of efforts to save our ecology to avoid ocurrence of garbage and industrial waste, construction of another 26/7. In this article we look at how we buildings in flood plains and encroachment of river can contribute towards the preservation of our area? We blame them for their inadequate ecology. measures to deal with these problems, forgetting the fact that we are the ones who actually create Oppose LAND-ENCROACHMENT these problems. Have you ever heard that somebody refused to Do we really think even once before using plastic live in a building because the contractor was bags or wasting paper, electricity and water? Do dumping wastes in a nearby pond or it’s an illicitly we ever protest against tree cutting or land reclaimed land from some river? Like other social encroachment? Who follow age old tradition of responsibilities, to keep our city hale and hearty
JUL-DEC 2008 | YELLOW 21 Mangrooves They are unique ecosystems which help reducing the effect of flood. Despite replantation over half of the world’s mangroves have been lost in recent times. Taken from: borrowedearth.wordpress.com
it’s our duty to take these audacious steps. At all Save MANGROVES save ecology it’s our city, how can we leave it at the disposition of government, politicians and handful of NGOs? Mangroves are plants and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats especially intertidal zone Diminution of SOLID WASTE (area of land which gets immersed only at the time of high tides) in the tropics and subtropics. No one would object that drains get clogged with Plants in mangroves are able to exploit their plastic bags and other solid waste thereby habitat by developing physiological adaptations exacerbating the flooding. Many of its elements to overcome the problem of frequent tidal are non-biodegradable. The ubiquitous plastic bag inundation, anoxia (complete disruption of Oxygen is an environmental menace. Every day tons of supply) and high salinity. They protect the coast waste gets generated from household or industry. from erosion, surge storms, especially during People should be educated about the optimal use hurricanes, and tsunamis. Their massive root of existing resources. Waste of resources in any system is efficient at dissipating wave energy. way should be discouraged. For plastic also ban Areas where they occur include estuaries and is not a solution. We should phase out the use of marine shorelines. plastic replacing it with alternate resources like
clothes, wood and metal. An unfussy example of According to a 2005 study, the Mumbai and Thane it could be use of cloth bag instead of plastic bag. districts had the mangrove cover hosting about
22 YELLOW | JUL-DEC 2008 40 sq. km of the coastal eco-system each. But due to anthropogenic causes like deterioration, pollution, grazing, agriculture, aquaculture and human encroachment etc., despite replanting programs, over half these mangroves have been lost in recent times.
Many laws were enacted to control this destruction but all of them proved to be insufficient. In 1991, when the Coastal Regulation Zone rules came into existence, the mangroves were declared as protected. In October 2005, the Bombay High Court declared mangroves to be ‘forest’ and banned mangrove destruction in the state as well as all construction activity within 50m of any mangrove area.
In spite of the court orders developers, land Taken from: canebrakecollections.com grabbers and squatters does not hesitate in slashing, burning and destroying these forests, paying no heed to these rules. In Borivli and Goregaon large swathes of mangroves were state government in January 2007 only 20 sq km destroyed to clear the way for a construction were declared as “protected forests”. “A huge activity nearby. Mangroves in Mahim creek, area of 40 sq km of mangrove forests was Versova creek, Malad creek, Vikhroli also met the removed from protection and presumably relieved similar fates. Despite repeated warnings from for development by various authorities,” alleges environmentalists and outcries from NGOs, the the BEAG (Bombay Environmental Action Group). destruction of mangrove covers went on Considering all that has been done and all that Under the HC order, areas of 60 sq. km were has not been done, the fact remains that lot of identified as under mangrove cover in Mumbai, ecosystems and natural drainages have been Thane, Navi Mumbai stretching upto Raigad. But polluted, hacked away and destroyed in Mumbai the reality, as always, came out to be something in recent years. It’s the time the administration entirely different. Although this order was and the people recognize the crucial role of flood completely unambiguous, various local bodies buffer played by these natural systems in a including the BMC, the NMMC, the CIDCO and metropolitan like Mumbai; a city which is home to other local agencies reverted to the state millions, built on reclaimed land and is prone to government with “suggestions and objections” heavy rains and frequent flooding. Or are we to whether these areas should be declared as waiting for another disaster before we come to protected. In the final notification issued by the our senses?
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