Antop Hill and BKC Are The Most Flood-Prone Areas in Mumbai, Says Study
Indian cities, apart from Mumbai, which are at risk of flooding due to rains are Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Bhubaneshwar and Allahabad.
Mumbai, July 24: Mumbai's Antop Hill and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) are among the worst flood-prone hit areas, according to a recent study carried out by RMSI, a company which does risk management studies. A news report published in the Times of India states that the area located near a creek or river are more prone to excessive flooding. As Sahar road, BKC, Dharavi, Kalina lies near Mithi River so they are usually badly affected during heavy downpours. During the 2005 deluge these places were inundated with rainwater due to the above reasons.
Apart from BKC and Antop Hill, the neighbouring cities Thane and Bhiwandi are also in the list of extreme flood-prone regions. Pushpendra Johari, head of risk and insurance at RMSI, says based on the research that the low-lying areas in the island city (South Mumbai) are more affected due to high tide. “Water in these areas drain out into the sea quickly, while the areas far from the island does not recede quickly," he said.
The study further attributes the reason for flooding to rising human interference and other factors such as inadequate drains, unplanned urbanisation, including the destruction of water bodies and wetlands. A recent study conducted by IIT-Bombay on the Mithi River and Oshiwara River basins have seen a significant increase in the flooding due to construction on their river banks.
The report further reveals that climate change is one of the major contributing factor, causing flooding in Mumbai. There was a three-fold increase in extreme rainfall between 1950-2015 across India including Mumbai according to the study done by IIT Bombay and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. Another study prepared by the RMSI found that the probability of extreme rainfall, like 2005 deluge, could double in the year 2080.
Indian cities, apart from Mumbai, which are at risk of flooding due to rains are Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Bhubaneshwar and Allahabad.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2018 11:54 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).