Mumbai :This Monsonn may witness biggest high tides, higher than any seen in the last 100 years

Bad tide-ings for city this monsoon

; BMC claims its evacuation plans are in place

GEETA DESAI

    The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has once again made tall claims about evacuation plans for people residing in low-lying areas. It is after 100 years, that Mumbai may witness the most number of the biggest high tides this year. The situation on 23-24 July, 2009 may be even worse than 26 July 2005, if the city experiences heavy rains.
    "We have readied plans to evacuate people from low-lying areas this year. We have identified 80-90 chronic spots, of the total 248 spots in the city, where it floods every year. The evacuation plans for the people in these areas are ready, but if the high tide coincides with heavy rains, we can do very little," said Kishore Gajbhiye, additional municipal commissioner.
    It may be recalled that on 26 July, 2005 the maximum rainfall the city had recorded was 944 cm, with a high tide of 4.48 meters, while 23 and 24 July this year will witness the biggest high tides of the century, which will be 5.01 and 5.05 respectively.
    This year, the BMC has concentrated on evacuation plans under the disaster management plan for the monsoon. "If we shift people well in advance, it will be wiser than allowing the area to flood and then rescuing them. We will alert the people of concerned area minimum eight hours before it gets flooded," said Gajbhiye.
    The civic administration has studied the whole city, and tabulated every detail with maps according to the area, population, approximate response time and the shelters in each wards. Each ward will have a minimum of five shelters which will be the municipal schools of that area. Wards like G-South, GNorth, E, L, S, T, H-West, R-South, R-North are chronic flooding spots.
    "We will place the flow meters at least 4 kms away from the flooding spots. If the level rises at the that point, the lower lying areas will be alerted with sufficient time to take people safely to the shelters," said S S Shinde, Joint Municipal Commissioner.
    The BMC has also started cleaning nullahs and desilting work to avoid water-logging. Most of the hutments on nullahs and along the Mithi River have also been cleared to avoid any casualties.
TIPS FOR CITIZENS
Do not panic and spread rumours Do not move out of the house unless very urgent Don't hesitate to call 108 for any information on the rains Compile all necessary official documents in a file and keep it handy Citizens residing on ground floors should keep their belongings at heights Park your vehicles on high ground, where there is no water-logging.