Validating its claim that there are fewer water logging spots in the city this year due to immaculate nullah desilting, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared that it had to divert 98 per cent fewer bus routes due to water logging in comparison with the previous year.
While the time for which bus routes were temporarily changed last year amounted to a whopping 44 hours, sources in the BMC stated that this year, diversions lasted a total of 2 hours 50 minutes only. An official from the BMC said, “Water logging even in the chronic spots such as Hindmata has been minimal, due to good nullah desilting this year. We saw barely any traffic jams and 98 per cent fewer bus route diversions.”
Monsoon in June last year saw heavy water logging in several areas resulting in diversion of buses running in areas around the Elphinstone flyover, the Gandhi Market near Kings circle, Sion, Kurla, Shell colony road, Hindamata, Milan Subway, Pitwal road, Parel ST Depot, Swami Vivekanand Road, Parel and Dadar railway station, Sundar Vihar, Prateeksha Nagar, Madke Bua Chowk.
Last year, two bus routes near Elphinstone bridge, four routes in Hindamata, five routes at Gandhi Market, two each at Sion and Milan Subway, and three at Shell colony were reported diverted. This year, however, no diversions took place at Elphinstone bridge, Gandhi market, Milan Subway and Shell Colony.
However, a minimal diversion of one hour ten minutes occurred at Hindamata and a one hour forty minute long diversion occurred at Sion Road on June 16 this year.
