Bombay HC Blames Civic Misuse For Flooding
The Bombay High Court has said Mumbai’s recurring waterlogging cannot be blamed on civic authorities alone, observing that clogged drains, encroachments and misuse of public spaces have worsened the city’s monsoon flooding problem.
Bombay High Court On Mumbai Waterlogging
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad made the remarks while hearing a plea related to road widening in Mandala village on the Sion-Trombay stretch.
The court said citizens also share responsibility for Mumbai’s flooding, noting that drains are blocked, pavements are misused and public land is encroached upon. It observed that civic infrastructure created for public use often becomes unusable due to illegal occupation and poor civic behaviour.
Mumbai Drainage And Encroachment Issues
The court said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had provided drainage lines, footpaths and pavements, but many of these spaces were misused. It pointed to parking on pavements, food stalls on footpaths and waste being pushed into drains as examples of how public infrastructure gets compromised.
The bench also said one spell of heavy rain is enough to block roads because of these long-standing issues. The remarks came as Mumbai continued to face severe waterlogging during the monsoon.
Mandala Village Road Widening Case
The hearing was linked to a BMC plea seeking land for widening a road in Mandala village. The civic body told the court that encroachments had been removed from its portion, while the remaining land required for the project belonged to the Department of Atomic Energy.
The High Court issued notice to the Department of Atomic Energy and sought its response. The case has highlighted the wider connection between delayed infrastructure projects, encroachments and Mumbai’s chronic flooding challenges.
