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Mumbai Rains: A Question over Pitfalls in Urban Planning that Arises Every Year

Nothing but a spell of rain is enough for the ‘city of dreams’ and its transport, architecture, and trade to either grind to a halt or see damages; all thanks to the drainage systems.

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While the Chief Minister of Maharashtra announced a “third Mumbai” in Raigad recently, the “first” one remains for the entire world to see — the one grappling with the issues ranging from water-logging, transportation, and even architecture, like almost every year.

Mumbai and adjoining areas have been receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall since August 15 which only intensified in the last three days. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shared the high-tide timings on Tuesday with a warning that waves could even rise as high as 3.75 metres. As per the civic body, the High tide in Mumbai on Aug 20, today is reported for 9:16 amwith 3.75 metres and 8:53 pm – 3.14 metres.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) already issued a red alert — this season’s first — for the city on August 18 and 19 with an orange alert today and a yellow alert tomorrow. The schools and the colleges remained closed for both Monday and Tuesday while the BMC also announced the closure of government and semi-government offices on Tuesday with the private establishments asked to allow work-from-home (WFH) to employees. 

In a major event yesterday, an "overloaded" monorail in Mumbai also got stuck owing to the power snag amidst rain. All passengers were rescued after a 3-hour process. The incident happend on the line near Mysore Colony which resulted in chaos among 582 passengers. 

As per a weather station at Santacruz, located on the western side of Mumbai recorded 238.2 millimetres (9.4 inches) of precipitation in the 24 hours through to 8.30 a.m. yesterday. This is also the highest one-day volume for August since 2020, according to data from the agency.

When a season comes with the same sufferings every year

Mumbai has been vulnerable to flooding during the monsoon season owing to its coastal location and other factors like population density, and a not-so-efficient urban infrastructure. It is hard for any Mumbai-based resident to forget the horrors of the 2005 deluge that killed more than 400 people.

The last few days have seen reports of heavy waterlogging in various areas with even visuals of the International airport’s runway submerged in water. With Thane’s Upwan lake overflowing, Shriram College in Bhandup submerged due to waterlogging, andto railway administration’s appeal to not travel by trains unless necessary, the rains once again showed how they can bring to a standstill various spheres of daily life.

Amidst the chaos, it remains unclear whether or not new flooding spots were identified and the solutions that might have been taken regarding them. “Even though the city has listed 200+ flood-prone spots, unless we use GIS technology to map rainfall, slopes, and water flow while planning roads and drains, the problem will repeat,” Bhaumik Gowande, an Urban and Transport Planner says.

‘Our infrastructure was never designed with flood data in mind’

Talking about the problems with the pumps, he says, “Mumbai’s pumps don’t fail because of machines alone, but because drains are clogged, outfalls are narrow, and our infrastructure was never designed with proper elevation or flood data in mind.” “Our streets and open areas have been concretised, preventing natural groundwater absorption, and the excess runoff overwhelms the drainage system. While the BMC has made significant efforts, there is still much work to be done,” he further adds.

Dikshu C. Kukreja, who has worked for various projects in Mumbai including the Mumbai metro, while talking to Local Samosa, recently, said: “The inadequate assessment of natural drainage has to be done at the planning stage, rather than treating it as an afterthought. Urban sites must undergo detailed hydrological and topographical studies before construction begins.” “Monsoon-resilient urban infrastructure requires both design innovation and political will,” he had added.

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Mithi river reached around the danger mark on Tuesday.

Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday mentioned that the water level of the Mithi River had risen to 3.9 metres and 400 residents from low-lying areas of Krantinagar in Kurla were evacuated to the BMC’s temporary shelter at Maganlal Mathuram Municipal School.

“We have built over rivers, creeks, and wetlands instead of keeping them as natural drains. The solution is simple, we need to let water go where it naturally wants to. That means combining better pumping systems with open spaces, stormwater parks, and ponds that can absorb excess rainwater and percolate it in the ground, or have a Tokyo-style underground floodwater diversion facility like G-Cans,” Mr. Gowande, who is currently residing in Delhi, says. 

Citing the example of infrastructure in the Netherlands, Mr. Gowande says, “Many coastal areas in Mumbai mitigate floods effectively during low tides, but also flood heavily during high tides because stormwater drains experience backflow from the sea. We need large-scale infrastructure like the dikes in the Netherlands or sea walls, which can control sea inflow even during high tide and help drain excess water faster. Such structures can be planned alongside coastal roads to protect the city more effectively from flooding during high tides.”

On the other hand, Mr. kukreja had emphasised on the “urban transit zones, footpaths, and public spaces that must be designed with permeable materials and slight elevation”. He stated: “Traditional underground drainage is no longer sufficient. Infrastructure must embed sensor-based water level monitoring systems for real-time adjustments.”

The architectural cost

While waterlogged areas are out there for the public and cvic officials to see, rains in Mumbai have adverse impact on the architecture that is only visible with sounds of explosion as or when buildings collapse. The old dilapidated buildings in Mumbai and around always fear the risk of dismantling during the monsoon.

Within a few days with the heavy rainfalls, reports of a building collapse in Marine Lines and plaster collapse from a Thane house surfaced along with a retaining wall collapse that damaged seven homes in Chembur.

“Mumbai must embrace soft engineering—bioswales, rain gardens, and wetland buffers, which not only manage excess rainfall but also revive lost ecological zones,” Mr. Kukreja had mentioned in a conversation earlier.

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A civil engineer highlights the concerns that prevail with the citizens' behaviour. 

While the buildings that witnessed damages were old designs, civil engineer and entrepreneur Sandeep Singh says that even the “best designs” can fail. “Even the best-designed system fails if drains are blocked. The government must enforce strict norms for plastic disposal, introduce heavy fines in big cities, and promote eco-friendly alternatives,” he says.

Stating that sustainable cities are not built by design alone, Mr. Singh says, “We need smarter planning, green infrastructure, and stricter rules, but unless citizens change their behaviour especially in managing plastic waste, even the best governance cannot prevent flooding,” emphasising on day-to-day actions of the citizens.

In the same Mumbai that sees soaring prices for its architectural designs, however, lies a contrary landscape that is Dadar’s Parsi Colony, a case in point. Singh, the Noida-based Managing Director of Brawn Globus who has taken several projects in Mumbai, calls it a classic example of how good planning can make a city resilient. “Wide roads, open spaces, and greenery allowed rainwater to percolate and flow naturally (in Dadar’s Parsi Colony),” he says.

However, adopting the same approach throughout the city could never have been possible with the changing demands of the city. “Replicating this model fully is difficult today due to land shortages and density, but the principles remain highly relevant,” he says adding that Mumbai’s biggest challenges are not limited to just the planning anymore.

“Mumbai’s bigger challenge now is not just planning, but behaviour. Polythene bags and plastic waste are the biggest culprits in choking stormwater drains,” he says.

At the same time, Mr. Singh notes modern solutions like rainwater harvesting, permeable paving, and green corridors that must be built into urban design. “With stronger governance, citizen discipline, and forward-looking planning, Mumbai can still move towards a safer and more sustainable future,” he cites with hope. 

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