This monsoon, Sion and Chunabhatti could be free from flooding, as the BMC recently completed a Rs 17-crore project that involved building two chambers to drain out the rainwater from the low-lying area and divert it using high-capacity pumps. After the successful project at King’s Circle, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) replicated the model on a small scale in other locations with chronic flooding in the rain. One such spot is Chunnabhatti. The station on the harbour line always goes under water at least three to four times every monsoon and the railway service has to be halted due to the flooding between Sion and Chunabhatti.

The problem

The flooding also triggers massive traffic snarls on the Eastern Express Highway. It takes more than 8 hours for the water to recede. So last year, the civic body cleared a Rs 17-crore proposal to build a culvert and two chambers at the low-lying spot. As per the proposal, pumps with high horsepower will be rented for four years to divert the water to Rahul Nagar nullah. A small nullah near Somaiya ground runs into the Rahul Nagar nullah which ultimately meets the Mahul creek. When heavy rain coincides with high tide, the water in the nullah overflows and floods the surrounding area, including Chunabhatti station and the EEH.