Rs 1,200 crore plan approved to improve Mumbai's drainage system

New Delhi, July 12 (UNI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved a Rs 1,200 crore project to improve storm water drainage system in Mumbai.

The project will be operationalised within four years, said minister for urban development Jaipal Reddy.

Mumbai at present has a gravity storm water system consisting of network of drains below road level in city area and open drains in eastern and western suburbs. The storm water drainage system in the city is over 150 years old and is designed for rainfall of 25 mm and runoff coefficient of 0.5.

Improvement of storm water drainage system for higher rainfall intensity reaching up to 100 mm per hour with higher runoff coefficient of 1 will reduce the incidence of flooding.

In turn, it will save at least losses of at least Rs 1,550 crore per year and help enhance Mumbai's image as a world class city. The project will be jointly monitored by the centre and state government to ensure timely completion and no cost overruns.

The project has been approved by the Central Public Health and Environment Engineering Organisation which is a technical wing under the ministry of urban development. It will be implemented by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

UNI