Mumbai Monsoon Rescue The Korean Floodgate Way? BMC's Rs 2,300-Crore Sweet Relief For Mithi
Mumbai Monsoon Rescue The Korean Floodgate Way? Why Mithi? How much rain does South Korea get? How do floodgates work? When will the work be completed? Explained
To prevent flooding in the western suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has plans to set up at least 25 floodgates at various inter-tidal zones in the Mithi River at a cost of Rs 2,300 crore.
The Mumbai project is inspired by the flood control systems used by South Korea, especially in areas prone to immense flooding and tsunamis, the Indian Express reported.
Why Mithi?
The Mithi River is a 17.8-km-long river that flows through the city of Mumbai, India, and plays a critical role in stormwater drainage, particularly during the monsoon. Originating from the overflow of Powai Lake and Vihar Lake, it winds its way through densely populated areas like Andheri, Kurla, Bandra, and Dharavi before emptying into the Mahim Creek and then into the Arabian Sea. The river passes through some of Mumbai's most built-up and flood-prone zones, including Chakala, Kalina, Saki Naka, and BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex).
Mithi River is notorious for flooding, especially during heavy rain when its carrying capacity is overwhelmed by both rainwater runoff and urban waste. Encroachment, illegal construction, and dumping of solid waste have significantly narrowed the river and reduced its depth, worsening its ability to handle excess water.
The worst flooding occurred on July 26, 2005, when a record-breaking 944 mm of rain fell in Mumbai in a single day. The Mithi River overflowed, submerging large parts of the city, including low-lying areas like Kurla, Sion, and Kalina, leading to over 400 deaths, widespread damage, and a complete breakdown of transport and power infrastructure.
In the years since, the BMC and MMRDA have initiated various efforts to desilt, widen, and construct retaining walls along the river. Despite these efforts, flooding still occurs during intense rain spells, with waterlogging in areas like Dharavi, Kurla, and Milan Subway remaining a frequent issue.
How will the project help Mumbai?
The installation of floodgates in the tidal influence zone from the domestic airport area to Mahim Causeway will give relief to residents of Sion, Chunabhatti, LBS Marg and Kurla.
The project will be completed in three years.
How does South Korea use floodgates to prevent flooding?
South Korea uses a sophisticated system of floodgates, dams, and river management infrastructure to prevent flooding, particularly in urban and low-lying areas. Here's how the floodgates work and fit into the broader flood prevention strategy:
1. Urban river floodgates: In cities like Seoul, where the Han River and its tributaries run through densely populated areas, floodgates are installed to control river levels during heavy rain, prevent backflow of rivers into urban drainage systems and protect vulnerable low-lying areas.
Example: Seoul's Cheonggyecheon Stream, restored as a public space, includes floodgates to divert excess water into underground tunnels during storms.
2. Tidal floodgates & barrages: In coastal regions, tidal floodgates prevent storm surges and high tides from pushing seawater into rivers or drainage canals.
Example: The Saemangeum Seawall, one of the longest in the world, includes multiple floodgates to manage the flow of seawater and freshwater, protecting reclaimed land.
3. Multi-purpose dams with floodgates: South Korea has built multi-purpose dams (like Soyang Dam, Chungju Dam, and Hwacheon Dam) upstream of major rivers. These dam store water during heavy rain, release water in a controlled manner through radial or sluice floodgates, protect downstream areas from sudden surges.
4. Smart monitoring & automated floodgates: Modern systems in South Korea use IoT sensors, AI, and weather forecasting to monitor rainfall and river levels in real time, automatically open or close floodgates depending on flood risk, coordinate dam and floodgate operations across regions.
Example: The K-Water Smart Water Management System helps manage over 50 major water facilities using centralized data.
5. Underground drainage & storage systems: In addition to above-ground floodgates, South Korea has built underground flood tunnels with floodgates that store excess rainwater temporarily, slowly release it into rivers after peak rainfall has passed.
How much rain does South Korea get compared to Mumbai?
South Korea gets average annual rainfall of 1,000 to 1,500 mm. Most rain falls during the summer monsoon (June-September), especially in July and August.
Mumbai sees an average annual rainfall of 2,200 to 2,500 mm. Nearly all rain falls during the Southwest Monsoon (June–September), with July being the wettest month. Mumbai can receive 800-1,200 mm in just one month (July).
With Agency Inputs
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Manjiri Joshi
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More
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First Published:
July 30, 2025, 19:01 IST
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