Maharashtra: Mumbai rising or Mumbai drowning?

On 26 May, the rains in Mumbai exposed the Maharashtra government, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for the leaky ship it is.

The city was submerged, throwing daily life into chaos. Crores of rupees spent on cleaning drains and repairing potholes were washed away. The Acharya Atre Chowk station of the underground Aqua Line Metro-3 turned into a small pond, and water rose up to half a foot inside a coach packed with passengers, raising serious safety concerns.

The BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government blamed it on the rains, claiming that the situation resulted from 200–250 mm of pre-monsoon rain, breaking a 100-year record. Aam janta and the Opposition differed. Corruption and poor planning, they said, even as urban development experts concurred.

Having observed Mumbai for over three decades, one has seen monsoon chaos nearly every year. Who can forget 26 July 2005, when more than 900 mm of rain flooded the city, causing economic damage running into crores and claiming over 1,000 lives? Twenty years later, no effective solution has been implemented to prevent the city from drowning during rains.

In 2024, Mumbai faced two severe rainy spells in July and September. Let’s not forget that with BMC elections delayed for three years, the state government has been running its administration.

On 15 April, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the ongoing work to get Mumbai monsoon-ready, promising Mumbaikars that their city wouldn’t flood again. But everyone saw what happened — rainwater even entered Mantralaya and KEM Hospital. And this was just pre-monsoon — what will happen when monsoon truly sets in?

The flooded Atrey Chowk station

On 10 May, Fadnavis inaugurated the extension of the Aqua Line Metro-3 from Bandra–Kurla Complex (BKC) to Acharya Atre Chowk, accompanied by Shinde. In two weeks, the rains revealed how poor the construction was, and how unprepared the line is in terms of passenger safety. Commuters took to social media to vent their woes. One wrote sarcastically, ‘We’re fools. They actually called it the Aqua Line.’ Another posted a video captioned, ‘Now even Mumbai’s underground metro station is flooded—yet another “facility” for Mumbaikars!’

Kapil Patil, who was stranded at the Acharya Atre Chowk station, said he was stuck for 20 minutes inside the metro. “I was scared. If the power had gone out, the AC would’ve stopped, and we could have suffocated.” Where are the safety measures needed in underground train systems, he asked. The fact that mobile signals don’t work underground is a long-standing issue that has yet to be addressed by the administration. “How could a multi-crore public project be executed so poorly?” asked Dr Sandeep Rane.

The Rs 37,000-crore Aqua Line Metro-3 project started in 2017 and spans 33.5 km from Colaba to SEEPZ, with 27 stations. It was supposed to be fully operational by August 2025, a timeline now likely to be extended.

Speaking to Mid-Day, Vidyadhar Date, coordinator of Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST (a citizens’ forum that advocates for publicly-owned, affordable, accessible and high-quality bus transportation in the city) said, ‘Flooded metro stations risk electrocution. The Acharya Atre Chowk station had to shut down. BEST buses now seem more reliable than the metro, which may be “posh” but fails to function when needed. Cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and London continue investing in their bus systems, despite private vehicle ownership. Just one day of rain showed us that our approach to urban transport needs a complete rethink.’

BMC dug up the footpath.
Laid cables.
Rebuilt it.
And after just one rain — it caves in.
This is the quality of public work in Mumbai.
Zero accountability, total risk for pedestrians.@mybmc — are you watching?
Loc- Opp. Bhikha Behram Well, Churchgate. pic.twitter.com/LkdHWqs43R

— Public Pulse (@public_pulseIN) May 29, 2025

The BMC’s budget for 2025–26 is Rs 74,427 crore, a 14.19 per cent increase over the previous year. A sum of Rs 5,100 crore has been allocated for roads and transport, with Rs 5,545 crore for sewage treatment plants. Despite spending Rs 249.27 crore in 2024 and Rs 395 crore in 2025 on drain cleaning, it remains ineffective.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance of massive corruption and misappropriated public funds. “A single rain event has exposed the corrupt nexus of BJP, Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s government,” he said, blaming the Mantralaya, BMC and contractors for Mumbai’s near-apocalyptic state.

Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad echoed this when she said a “triple-engine corrupt government” has taken control through an appointed administrator. “Mumbaikars are suffering due to unchecked corruption. The Mahayuti government is directly responsible.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader that the BMC has never been in such a dire state. He warned citizens: if the BJP takes full control of the BMC, this would become the new normal. Criticising Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said, “This wasn’t the season’s first rain. We’ve been demanding drain cleaning for two months. Where is the man who claims to be a visionary in infrastructure?”

In a tit-for-tat move, BJP leader and cabinet minister Ashish Shelar demanded an account from Uddhav Thackeray for 25 years of Shiv Sena (UBT) rule in the BMC.

Besieged Mumbaikars dealing with monsoon flooding, year after year, have no doubt that the problem is rampant corruption within the BMC. Corrupt officials and contractors reportedly operate with protection from the BJP-led government, which is why long-term flood prevention projects are never prioritised.

Metro station inaugurated only 17 days ago looks like a war zone on the 1st day of rains.

Congrarulations, Mumbai. 👏👏pic.twitter.com/cKmd2QOiFB

— Kunal Purohit (@kunalpurohit) May 26, 2025

RTI activist Anil Galgali has demanded an investigation into this nexus. One ambitious rainwater drainage project was scrapped solely because it was deemed “too expensive”. Developed by a British firm, the plan cost Rs 600 crore but could have prevented annual flooding. The BMC is well aware that Mumbai’s current rainwater drainage system is over a century old. Of the 45 stormwater outfalls leading to the sea, only three have floodgates. At high tide, only these three can be shut — seawater floods back through the rest. This has become a major avenue for corruption, with crores spent annually on drain cleaning.

While the drainage system remains outdated, the Fadnavis government is hell-bent on investing in projects meant to make Mumbai a ‘Shanghai-like’ international city. At an Express Adda on 29 May, Fadnavis revealed further plans for infrastructure projects, including the upgrade of the suburban rail network, education and healthcare hubs within the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) city and the construction of a new airport near the Vadhavan port in Palghar, unswervingly sticking to the narrative of ‘Mumbai Rising’.

But what of ‘Mumbai Drowning’? Well before the flooded Aqua Line Metro-3 triggered a storm of outrage, the Coastal Road project had come under fire. Built at a cost of Rs 14,000 crore and meant to ease traffic in South Mumbai, videos surfaced showing hastily patched potholes. Vinod Dubey, a driver, said on camera: “We cannot compromise on safety and trust. Development must be sustainable and secure — not just for show.”

Issues over land, approvals and contractors have led to infighting within the Mahayuti.