MUMBAI: Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Tuesday said Mumbai received more than 300 mm of rainfall between July 1 and July 7, 2026, exceeding the rainfall recorded in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru during the same period. Despite the intense downpour, the city’s road and suburban railway services continued to function with minimal disruption, supported by six major pumping stations, nine mini pumping stations and 540 dewatering pumps.
The commissioner said water storage in Mumbai’s seven reservoirs stood at 28.92 per cent as of July 7. Reservoir levels increased by 12 percentage points over the previous 24 hours, but rainfall in the catchment areas remains below normal. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is monitoring the situation closely and will take a decision on water rationing if necessary.
Providing an update on road infrastructure, Bhide said the BMC maintains 2,118 km of roads across the city. Of the 700 km planned for cement concrete road construction, 577.46 km has already been completed under two phases. She said the project has significantly reduced potholes and lowered pothole repair expenditure by nearly 35 per cent. The Eastern and Western Express Highways, which are bituminous roads, have undergone temporary repairs at vulnerable locations and will be fully resurfaced after the monsoon.
On flood management, the commissioner said regular desilting of rivers and drains is being carried out. In collaboration with IIT Bombay, the civic body is preparing a comprehensive flood mitigation project targeting 300 to 350 chronic waterlogging locations. The proposal includes construction of new pumping stations, expansion of existing pumping capacity, installation of automated flood gates and strengthening of the stormwater drainage network. Funding for the project is being sought from the National Disaster Relief Fund. Citizens were also urged not to dump solid waste into rivers and drains.
Addressing concerns over falling trees, Bhide said strong winds of 50–70 kmph over the past several days have led to a sharp increase in incidents. So far this year, 830 trees and 1,238 branches have fallen across Mumbai, with a majority located on private properties.
The BMC also announced new measures to improve the health and stability of roadside trees by ensuring better water reaches their roots beneath paved surfaces. The civic body will seek technical guidance from experts at the University of Mumbai and IIT Bombay, strengthen scientific pruning practices, review construction methods around tree roots and undertake replacement plantation for trees lost during storms.
