Mumbai News: MMRDA Steps Up Monsoon Preparedness To Ensure Safety And Uninterrupted Services Across City Metro Projects

Mumbai: As the monsoon season approaches, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has rolled out a comprehensive pre-monsoon preparedness and emergency response plan to ensure the safety of citizens and the smooth operation of ongoing infrastructure projects across the city.

To monitor and respond to any emergency during the rains, MMRDA has set up a Centralised Control Room at its new BKC office. This facility is directly linked via a hotline to the BMC's Disaster Management Control Room and will operate 24/7, manned by designated nodal officers.

Additionally, onsite control rooms have been established at all major project locations, equipped with engineers and labour gangs available round-the-clock.

In case of any untoward incident, an Emergency Sequence of Actions has been defined. Once information is received, the Engineer on Duty assesses the situation and alerts the contractor's response team and MMRDA's Disaster Management Unit.

Simultaneously, information is shared with the MCGM/MBMC Emergency Operations Centres and escalated to higher authorities, including the Metropolitan Commissioner and Police Commissioner. Various Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) are activated in accordance with set SOPs until normalcy is restored.

Key on-ground measures being implemented include:

Deployment of Emergency Response Teams, each consisting of one engineer and 10 labourers. Mobilization of pothole repairing vehicles to maintain road safety. Installation of dewatering pumps of varying capacities to address waterlogging.

Barricade management including sealing board bottoms and removing them from completed stretches to maximize road width. Clearing of debris and repairs to damaged drains and dividers.

Completion of piling and pile cap works prior to heavy rains, with precautions in place to continue work as per MCGM guidelines during the monsoon.

Testing of electrical equipment to prevent hazards. Deployment of additional traffic wardens to ensure a smooth flow of traffic at congested spots.

MMRDA’s Metro operations, covering Lines 2A and 7, have also taken preemptive steps to ensure uninterrupted commuter services: Wind velocity anemometers have been installed at 10 strategic stations.

Increased service frequency will be introduced during flooding situations. Over 64 CCTV cameras per station are operational for enhanced security and monitoring.

Dedicated coaches are prepared for emergency resource transfer to city authorities. Comprehensive checks have been conducted on DG sets, UPS systems, and lightning protection mechanisms at all 30 stations and the Charkop depot.

All 34 metro trains have passed water-leakage testing, and drainage infrastructure across the 35 km viaduct and 30 stations has been thoroughly cleaned. Preventive maintenance is ongoing across the entire power and signaling infrastructure, including over 759 insulators and associated components.

MMRDA’s monsoon preparedness reflects a proactive, multi-agency coordinated effort aimed at minimizing disruption and ensuring the safety of commuters and citizens across the metropolitan region.