Navi Mumbai: Millennium Towers in Sanpada Experiences Severe Flooding for the First Time Since 2005
Navi Mumbai, 23rd July 2024: For the first time since the 2005 deluge, Millennium Towers in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, experienced severe flooding during a heavy downpour this month. The floodwaters reached knee-deep levels on Sunday.
Residents and BN Kumar, director of the NGO NatConnect, attributed the flooding to unchecked construction and blatant violations of environmental regulations. In the past five years, eight high-rise buildings have been constructed on land adjacent to the railway yard, and several more under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are nearing completion near Jui Nagar.
On Sunday, the area housing Millennium Towers, which includes 15 buildings (ranging from 11 to 14 storeys) and two nearby public parks, was submerged. Residents were forced to move their vehicles to higher ground. Activists criticized the destruction of mangroves, mudflats, and wetlands for construction, suggesting that the flooding is a consequence of these environmental impacts.
Retired government official Devendra Bhujbal noted that water also infiltrated the lift shafts of several buildings, disrupting movement for residents. Domestic help declined to work on upper floors until at least one lift per building was operational.
Kumar added, “A large public park-cum-ground across Millennium Towers is classified as a wetland in the Indian Wetlands map prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This indicates that the area was once a low-lying region.”
