Every monsoon, the same intersections in Mumbai turn into rivers. Maharashtra’s government says it has a plan to make that stop — and it wants floodwater gone within half an hour, even at high tide.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unveiled a ₹13,000 crore flood control master plan targeting 370 chronic waterlogging hotspots across Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with a goal of draining accumulated rainwater within 30 minutes of a downpour — a tall order given that high tide often shuts off the city’s natural gravity drainage to the sea entirely.
The 370-Point Problem
The plan’s core promise is simple to state and hard to deliver: identify the city’s worst flood-prone locations and re-engineer them so water clears fast, regardless of tidal conditions. It builds on the long-delayed Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drain (BRIMSTOWAD) project, whose unfinished components — some dating back decades — are now slated for completion within one to two years.
Sponge City Meets Old-School Engineering
Alongside conventional upgrades — wider stormwater drains built to handle downpours above 55 mm/hour, expanded pumping capacity in vulnerable spots like Mahul and Mogra, and continued work on the Mithi River project — the plan leans into “sponge city” thinking. That means permeable pavements designed to absorb a portion of rainwater on contact, bio-retention parks that hold water naturally, and underground detention-infiltration tanks that let runoff seep into the groundwater instead of the streets. Netting systems to intercept floating plastic before it clogs drains round out the approach.
Who’s Paying for It
The project is reportedly structured as a cost-sharing arrangement resembling Mumbai’s Coastal Road funding model, split between the National Disaster Response Fund, the Maharashtra state government, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Where the Plan Stands Now
A Detailed Project Report is being finalized, with initial execution phases expected to begin around October — but as of the latest reporting, the plan has been submitted to the central government for approval and does not yet appear to have received final sign-off.
