'Narrowing, redirecting streams caused July flood in Vasai-Virar'

MUMBAI: The flooding in Vasai-Virar in July last year was the result of reclamation and diversion of natural water systems, said protesters quoting from a study during an agitation on Monday.


A major portion of the stream in Krishna Township in Vasai (east) was reclaimed to make way for a playground by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) around five years ago and was the prime cause of last July's flooding, alleged the local unit of the Shiv Sena.

The natural stream that was narrowed in Vasai (east) to make way for a playground

The natural stream that originates from Sopara creek in Nalasopara and passes through Vasai (west) and Vasai (east) to empty into the Vasai creek, has become narrow at several places. The restraining of the stream makes it difficult for water to flow away during the monsoon .

A team of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, was asked to carry out a survey of the region after last year's flooding.

The report mentioned the improper alignment of the water systems and the need to maintain the natural slope and width of nullahs on the stretch starting from Chulne village to Vasai-Gass Road, Vasai creek and Naigaon (east) before the onset of monsoon this year.

The survey found that drainage lines from homes were discharging waste into the nullahs, giving rise to the growth of hyacinth and affecting the flow of water during the rains. The report advised the cutting down of mangroves in case they obstructed the flow of rainwater.

At the protest outside the municipal office in Vasai, Shiv Sena activists alleged that the municipality had not learnt from last year's flooding. Milind Chavan, a party politician from Vasai, said a fact-finding committee set up by the municipal administration after the July 2018 floods suggested desilting, sludging and widening of the stream before monsoon this year.

Large parts of Vasai-Virar went under water for about a week following heavy rain last July. Water entered homes, damaging electronics, furniture, other household items and documents. Railway tracks were submerged as there was no place for the water to flow into, and services remained suspended for som days.

Municipal officials said that desilting work before the monsoon had been carried out and that the playground that had come up over the natural water system would be investigated.