Mumbai rain: Kurla floods as Mithi river nears danger mark

Over 400 people from the low-lying area were moved to MM Municipal School – low tide aiding the evacuation efforts, despite incessant rainfall

MUMBAI: Residents of Kurla (West), especially those living in close proximity to the Mithi River, are struck by an intuitive fear every monsoon driven by memories of July 26, 2005, when Mumbai received 944 mm of rainfall in 24 hours causing unprecedented flooding. While not limited to Kurla at the time, Mithi’s overflow, in high tide, played a big role in the havoc.

Mumbai, India - August 19, 2025: A view of the waterlogging at LBS road, Kurla in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Although not reminiscent of the devastation two decades ago, flood-weary residents of this neighbourhood plunged into a crisis nevertheless on Tuesday at 9:30 am as the water level in Mithi rose to 3.9 metres, close to the ‘danger mark’ of 4 meters. It prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), assisted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, to swing into action and evacuate residents of the vulnerable Kranti Nagar slums. Over 400 people from the low-lying area were moved to MM Municipal School – low tide aiding the evacuation efforts, despite incessant rainfall.

Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant commissioner of L Ward confirmed the course of action, and said: “After the shift, they were provided snacks and refreshments.”

The slum pocket, with 500-odd families located in a flood-prone zone near the river, and flanked by two airport runways, has long been in a high-risk category. Apart from Kranti Nagar, residents of Kismat Nagar, Taximen’s Colony and Bail Bazar are no strangers to the consistent pattern of flooding – a result of heavy rainfall, poor drainage, haphazard construction along the riverbank, and tidal influence from the Arabian Sea.

Speaking about Mithi getting “alarmingly close to breaching the danger mark” on Tuesday, Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), said, “The Safed Pool bridge near the river goes under water at 4 metres. Before it reaches that mark, we begin evacuation of nearby slums. Today it reached 3.9 metres but showed a declining trend later. There was a sudden surge from 2.9 to 3.9 metres between 9 am and 10 am. But fortunately, the low tide came as a relief.”

Rain water inundated several residential complexes in the area as well. Zafar Siddiqui, a first-floor resident of Sukh Sagar building, near Habib Hospital, in Kurla West, said, “As the river crossed the danger mark, 1-2 feet of water flooded the area. I provided refuge to many residents from the ground floor. Residents of eight other buildings in the area are also affected.” Similarly affected are Gwala Compound, Navjeevan Society and Parzada building.

“The situation became grim as Mithi neared the danger mark,” said another resident of the area, Mushtaq Batla, even as Kurla police made constant announcements for residents of low-lying areas to remain alert.

Bangar assured that weather conditions are expected to improve over the next few days. “While the arrangement of another cloud system over the Arabian Sea caused heavy rain on Tuesday evening, its intensity will reduce by late night and show a declining trend over the next two days,” said Bangar.

Future Mithi plan

Speaking of the plight of citizens who were shifted earlier in the day, Bangar said “a long-term plan will be chalked for them post-monsoon”. The deeper issue, he said, is the unorganised and unregulated development along the river, “which has existed for a long time”. “But shifting the Kranti Nagar residents will provide much relief,” said Bangar.

Bangar then called attention to efforts being made to bolster Kurla’s flood preparedness. “Mithi is being widened and a retaining wall is being constructed. We will also increase the carrying capacity of the river. Ninety per cent of work on the retaining wall is nearly complete,” he said.

The challenge, he said, lay in the river (a natural waterbody) collecting stormwater discharge from surrounding drains. “The tidal effect exacerbates flooding. Out of the 18-kilometre length of the river, the tidal effect is seen up to 7 kilometres, where high tide water enters the river from Mahim Causeway,” he said.

To prevent tidal backflow, the civic body is planning to install 25 floodgates with pumps. “Tenders will be invited in two weeks so that during high tide, seawater doesn’t enter the system,” Bangar said.

The broader flood management plan includes components such as interceptor drains, pumping stations, gate pumps, and a sewage treatment plant. Initially estimated at ₹1,990 crore, the project cost is currently under revision and expected to be reduced.