MUMBAI: With the southwest monsoon round the corner, the civic administration of Mumbai has promised a hassle-free rainy season – and has chalked out a comprehensive plan to tackle flooding and submergence of low-lying areas.

Over the last couple of months, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken several initiatives – and so as the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR).

Mumbai civic chief Swadhin Kshatriya has prepared a plan catering even the minutest details. For the first time, the BMC has prepared a booklet giving the date, time and height of the waves when maximum rain is expected.

With the schedule, important contact numbers such as the control room of BMC and other agencies like fire stations, ambulances etc. too are included in the handy booklet. Around this time, the BMC has marked 55 locations where heavy rains and subsequently water logging can be expected.

“It is no cause for worry,” adds the commissioner saying, “We have 196 de-watering pumps at 189 locations which have already been alerted. With it we have also started 2 new pumping stations at Haji Ali and Irla which are heavy water logging areas.” Over 95% of de-silting work at nullahs had been completed and approximately 4,22,542 m of silt was be removed.

Taking a pro-active stand the BMC has installed 29 new automatic weather stations, after its fact finding in 2005, which will continuously generate data and send the same to BMC control room. Also six regional command centres, to be headed by deputy rank level officer, have been commissioned equipped with rescue boats, life jackets, kayaks and inflatable boats etc.

Also hotlines are made ready for each ward that would connect to the nearest fire station and the control room at BMC headquarters. Also the BMC is tying up with mobile network companies so that messages through mobile from the BMC control room can be flashed on all mobile screens for free.

At the time of flood or torrential rains teams from the Army, IAF and Navy, National Disaster Response Force, would be deployed to locations to relieve the people and rescue them to a safe place.

The CR and WR has also cleaned up the tracks and removed plastic and garbage, which is a major cause of water-logging.