Water supply disrupted amidst heavy flooding at VIP stretch of Malabar Hill, Pedder Road

Blocks to access water values, damaged due to landslide disrupt water supply for over a day. It was water everywhere but not to a drop to drink for the SoBo VIPs

@hepzia

Mumbai: It was a case of plentiful of water but not enough to drink for the entire VIP area of Malabar Hill, Nepean Sea Road, Altamount Road, Pedder Road and areas around Tardeo and Grant Road. There was no drinking water supply since August 5 evening in that area amidst unprecedented flooding during the same time.

While the water supply was hampered on Wednesday as the water valves could not be operated due to flooding and tree falls over it, on Thursday the Kemp’s Corner landslide damaged the water mains hampering the water supply on August 6. 

Rajendra Narwankar, corporator of Grant Road told thenews21, “On Wednesday, trees fell at the Mahalaxmi Race Course Road blocking access to the water valves. Vehicles were left stranded on the road due to excessive flooding also blocked access to water valves to start the water supply in that area. The problem compounded when the landslide at Kemps Corner at 11.52 on August 5, damaged the water mains. Work is still going on and the water supply has not been restored till the evening of August 6.” 

Narwankar, who represents Grant Road (E) while residing at Grant Road (W) said residents of both the localities continued to be affected by it. “People are buying drinking water and making do with available water. At my house, we used disposable plates,” he said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it has provided for 30 water tankers in the affected areas of Forges Street, Raghavji Road, August Kranti Marg, Altamount Road, Safiya Parekh Lane, Pedder Road and N.L. Parkar Road. 

Meanwhile, following landslides at the Bandongri, Kandivli stretch of the Western Express Highway (WEH) for two consecutive days, led to the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) taking geotechnical engineering assistance from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The technical assistance is being sought to decide on whether to cut or chip the rocks along the highway to avoid further such landslides as instances of rock falls on roads continue to be a perennial problem on this stretch due to the loose rocks there, informed joint metropolitan commissioner B.G. Pawar.

The right of way on the WEH was built by the MMRDA by cutting the hillocks after doing a geological study and installing safety nets along the rocks. Traffic both ways was entirely shifted to a single section of the road, after the Eastern side of the road was completely blocked for traffic by the second landslide on Wednesday. Only one lane of the south-bound section could get functional by Thursday evening. The MMRDA got cutters and dumpers to move the huge boulders off the highway. 

Though the city registered a moderate rainfall, it recorded about 215 complaints of tree falls, including 168 in the city, 31 in the Western suburbs and 16 the eastern suburbs. About 10 instances of short circuits were also registered in the city.