Mumbai: 39 Illegal Structures Along Vikhroli Drain Demolished to Clear Waterlogging Hazard
(From Our Correspondent)
Mumbai: Mumbai’s ‘S’ Ward civic body demolished 39 out of 43 illegal structures built along the Kannamwar Nagar drain in Vikhroli (East) on Tuesday, freeing up 240 square metres of land for the construction of a protective retaining wall along the waterway.
The action is part of a broader Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) drive to remove encroachments on and alongside stormwater drains across the city. Illegal construction along these drains has long been identified as a primary cause of waterlogging and flooding in residential areas during the monsoon season, as structures obstruct the natural flow of rainwater into the drainage network.
Zone-6 Deputy Commissioner Santoshkumar Dhonde said that a large number of unauthorised structures had come up along the drain over time, severely hampering its capacity to carry rainwater. “During the monsoon, water fails to drain into the nala and instead spills onto roads and into residential localities,” he said. He further noted that residents were also dumping garbage directly into the drain, causing blockages that prevent water from flowing downstream into the creek.
The demolition drive, carried out on Wednesday by the ‘S’ Ward, partially razed 39 of the 43 identified illegal structures in the Kannamwar area of Vikhroli East. Dhonde confirmed that the remaining four structures will also be brought down shortly. Once all encroachments are cleared, a protective wall will be erected along the drain to prevent further dumping and encroachment.