Bombay high court raps Centre for failing to install Doppler radar

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked the Central government to file an affidavit stating steps taken by them to construct a Doppler radar in Mumbai. Two years ago, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had given land at Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road to setup Doppler radar to measure the weather conditions of Mumbai so that citizens can be alerted before a heavy rainfall. The court’s direction came after petitioner, Atal Dubey brought to the notice of the court that despite allotting land nothing has been done by the central government. The court also gave a last chance to the BMC to state how much work has been done towards completion of Khar, Mahul and Mogra pumping station to drain rain water into the sea.

A division bench of Justice R.M. Sawant and Justice K.K. Sonawane was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Atal Dubey in 2015 which had sought corrective steps after heavy showers in June 2015 caused extensive inundation and affected services. The PIL resulted in several orders towards ensuring that second radar was installed for Mumbai, but despite several court orders, the second Doppler radar is yet to be installed. The Doppler radars were first recommended in a 2006 report by retired bureaucrat Dr Madhav Chitale following a fact-finding enquiry into July 26, 2005 deluge.

Earlier this week, the court came to know that BMC was supposed to come up with three pumping stations at Gajdhar bandh in Khar, Mahul and Mogra areas of Mumbai. These pumping stations would solve water logging problem of Santacruz, Kh-ar area.