‘Under control’

According to Deshmukh, the situation was ‘‘natural’’ as Mumbai receives 250 mm rain every year. The waterlogging, he claimed, takes a few hours to drain but the drainage problem is aggravated due to high tide.

‘‘We have all learnt our lessons the hard way. Not only us, but the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), the police force and the fire-brigade have been working round the clock. They’ve been provided with the train and plane arrival schedules to handle the situation better. The traffic has been moving smoothly (thanks to the elaborate diversion plan drawn up by the city police),’’ he added.

He said this year the disaster management plan, drawn up after last year’s floods, has been put to good use. There have been no major powercuts apart from in some areas where it was disconnected to avoid short-circuit, he added. The trouble was checked as people were alerted through SMSs, FM radios and TV channels, he said.

Next week, the Centre may release funds for the Mithi River Project which is expected to give waterlogged Mumbai some relief by next monsoon.