Disaster management- case study on 26 July 2005 Mumbai flood

Presentation gives brief about Mumbai 26 July 2005 flood case study- Introduction, Factors aggravated for flood, casualty & damage, rescue operation carried out, mitigation measures, assessment done by government, guidelines for immediate action, long term strategies

1. Disaster management – A case study on 26 July 05 Mumbai Flood Presentation by- Madhura S. Deshpande (1427002)

2. What is Flood? Flood is a state of high water level along a river channel or on the coast that leads to inundation of land, which is not usually submerged. Excessive rain, rupture of dam or levee, rapid ice melting in the mountains can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over the adjacent land called flood plain. Costal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge inland. Moving water has tremendous destructive power. Floods are caused not only by rain but also by human changes to the surface of the earth.

3. Causes of flood Some of the major causes are: Heavy rainfall Heavy siltation of the river bed reduces the water carrying capacity of the rivers/stream. Blockage in the drains lead to flooding of the area. Landslides blocking the flow of the stream. Construction of dams and reservoirs

4. Types of floods Flash floods -are local floods of great volume and short duration. A flash flood generally results from a torrential rain or “cloudburst” on relatively small and widely-dispersed streams. Riverine floods -are caused by precipitation over large areas or by melting of the winter’s accumulation of snow, or by both. Storm surge or tidal surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone. Storm surge is caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface

5. Introduction to case study The 2005 Maharashtra floods refers to the flooding of many parts of the  Maharashtra including large areas of the metropolis Mumbai a city located on the coast of the Arabian Sea . The average rain fall of Mumbai is 242.42mm. The floods were caused by the heaviest ever recorded 24-hour rainfall figure of 994 mm. The previous record high rainfall in a 4-hour period for Mumbai was 575 mm. in 1974.

6. Land use changes in Mumbai

7. Drainage System Sewage Underground Gravity System Collection, Conveyance, Treatment, Pumping discharging to Sea/Creek Storm Water More than 150 years old in city area designed for rainfall of 25 mm per hour and run-off coefficient of 0.5 Underground/open low gravity system Collection, Conveyance and disposal to Sea/Creek

8. FACTORS AGGRAVATED THE DISASTER IN MUMBAI Antique drainage system The present storm-water drainage system in Mumbai was put in place in the early 20 th century. It is capable of carrying only 25 millimeters of water per hour. The drainage system is also clogged at several places. Only 3 'outfalls' (ways out to the sea) are equipped with floodgates whereas the remaining 102 open directly into the sea. A project costing approximately Rs. 600 crore was proposed by UK based consultants hired by the BMC to study the matter. The project was planned to have completed by 2002 and aimed to enhance the drainage system through larger diameter storm water drains and pipes, using pumps wherever necessary and removing encroachments.

9. The project, if implemented would have doubled the storm water carrying capacity to 50 mm per hour. The BMC committee rejected the proposed project on the grounds that it was "too costly. 2. Uncontrolled, unplanned development in Northern Suburbs Development in northern suburbs of Mumbai is haphazard and buildings are constructed without proper planning. The drainage plans in northern suburbs is chalked out as and when required in a particular area and not from an overall point of view. 3. Destruction of mangrove ecosystems Mangrove ecosystems which exist along the Mithi River and Mahim Creek are being destroyed and replaced with construction.

10. Hundreds of acres of swamps in Mahim creek have been reclaimed and put to use for construction by builders. These ecosystems serve as a buffer between land and sea. It is estimated that Mumbai has lost about 40% of its mangroves between 1995 and 2005, some to builders and some to encroachment (slums). Sewage and garbage dumps have also destroyed mangroves. The Bandra-Kurla complex in particular was created by replacing such swamps.

11. Casualty and Damage : 26/07/2005 Floods Loss of life At least 500 people lost their lives in the flashfloods and the landslides. 24 deaths caused by a stampede which occurred due to a false tsunami rumor at a slum in Vile Parle. Residents of low lying coastal areas, who had faced the floods just 48 hours back, panicked and rushed towards higher ground. 16 deaths due to trapped vehicles from suffocation in cars after water levels rose rapidly, preventing escape. 12 deaths due to Electrocution, 5 due to Wall collapse, 25 most deaths were due to water borne diseases.

12. Damaged Buildings Residential establishments - partly damaged: 50,000 Residential establishments - fully damaged: 2,000 Commercial establishments: 40,000 Impact on Roads Submergence of roads and traffic jams Most arterial roads and highways in the Suburbs severely affected due to water logging 52 local trains damaged, 37,000 auto rickshaws spoilt, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses damaged and 10,000 trucks and tempos grounded.

13. Medical Care and Hospitals 437 Primary Health Centers, rural hospitals, and residential premises for health personnel were damaged by flooding Education and Schools More than 20,000 classrooms damaged and 97 school buildings collapsed Communications and Information Telephone exchanges came under water the Phones stopped working Amateur Ham Radio Operators helped established radio contacts during the emergencies

14. Financial Effects The financial cost of floods was unmatched and these floods caused a stoppage of entire commercial, trading, and industrial activity for days. ATM Network of several banks stopped functioning. The Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India, the premier stock exchanges of India could function only partially. Total Loss in flood up to Rs. 550 Crores

15. Effects on Mumbai’s flood to the rest of the world Over 700 flights were cancelled or delayed. Rail links were disrupted, and cancellation of several long distance trains up to 6th August, 2005. Mumbai- Pune Expressway, which witnessed a number of landslides, was closed, for the first time ever, for 24 hours. According to Hindustan Times, an unprecedented 5 million mobile and 2.3 million MTNL landline users were hit for over four hours.

16. Rescue and Relief Measures The Government machinery along with the local offices and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) immediately got into action for the desired relief and rescue. The Fire Brigade and the "Rescue Teams" of MCGM undertook 282 major and minor rescue operations. The Municipal machinery tries to evacuation of people through boats and buses. Evacuated people were sheltered in public buildings including schools Free food grains were provided by the Government of Maharashtra [GOM] and MCGM as well as voluntary NGOs and individuals.

17. 3,700 stranded people including rescuing school children as well as rescuing people from 140 marooned BEST buses. Food packets and drinking water was arranged for the stranded people with the help of NGOs and Social Organizations. Over 25,000 people were provided relief at 15 locations across the city. Affected people were shifted to nearby Municipal schools, local buildings and halls on 27 July. 12000 food packets were distributed in City.

18. Mitigation Measures Infrastructure improvement Transportation infrastructure Service & related infrastructure Housing infrastructure Communication & public information Upgrading wireless communication Setting up display boards Using cable TV for information dissemination Land use policies & planning Improvement & protection of landfill sites Control on land reclamation Shifting of storage and hazardous units from residential areas.

19. Recovery Common man on the roads to help Government providing all the necessary support Power supply, Rail transport, Airports started normal operations on the very next day Life back to normal within 24 hrs Business as usual in the financial capital of India Financial Markets back on the track

20. Assessment By Government The Government decided to provide assistance to the shopkeepers and stall owners after making an assessment of their damages. Also coordinated with insurance and banking sector to provide immediate relief to the shopkeepers, traders and entrepreneurs. The Gov. started distributing assistance for partially and fully damaged houses as per the standing orders. Coordination is done with the NGOs for effective channeling of relief and rehabilitation. It undertook to distribute 20 kilogram of food grains and 10 liters of kerosene oil to all the flood-affected families free of cost.

21. Government of Maharashtra seek sustainable solutions in terms of restoration of natural drainage. It also would like to replace the century-old drainage system of the city of Mumbai. They receives adequate Central Assistance for undertaking these mitigation measures so that such a flood does not affect the city of Mumbai again.

22. Guidelines for immediate action Hydrological monitoring Sensing by radars Topographical contours Evacuation routes & facilities Upgraded railway culverts Electric supply Disaster management plan Urban planning Electronic media Interactive lead role of the MCGM

23. Long term strategies Improved transportation system Pumping facilities International example Global warming Land for middle income and low income housing Urban planning and management Emergency preparedness Financial support

24. References “URBAN FLOODING – A CASE STUDY OF MUMBAI”, H J SHIVA PRASAD CORFU, “Case study: Mumbai By Prof Kapil Gupta”, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay “Fact Finding Committee on Mumbai flood” – Final report, Volume 1 , march 2006.

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