'400 vehicles submerged' due to water filling underground parking lot in Mumbai

Mumbai: Due to heavy rains, nearly 400 vehicles, including high-end cars, motorbikes and autorickshaws, were submerged in an underground public parking lot built by the Mumbai civic body at Thakur Complex in suburban Kandivali, an activist claimed on Monday. While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) did not put a number to the affected vehicles, it assured to look into the possibility of giving compensation to their owners after studying an agreement signed with a private contractor that manages the premises. Due to heavy downpour in the western suburbs since Saturday night, rainwater entered inside the civic body''s parking lot run by a private contractor. 

As a result two, three and four-wheeler vehicles parked in the sprawling area have got submerged. The activist, a local resident, said up to 15 feet water was inside the underground parking lot on Sunday morning and nearly 400 vehicles have been affected. Several autorickshaws, two wheelers and cars, including high-end ones like Audis, have got submerged, he said. "Water is being pumped out since Sunday morning, but about three feet water is still inside the parking lot," he said. He said the parking lot flooded because of an adjoining nullah which is about 20 feet wide. "The nullah has been covered with concrete. 

Hence, when it overflowed on Sunday morning, the water from it entered the parking lot and some neighbouring buildings," he said. Local corporator Sunita Yadav of the BJP said the parking lot used to witness flooding of up to a few inches in the past, but this time the situation was "horrible". "The civic body should pay compensation to all the vehicle owners," Yadav said, adding several autorickshaws drivers from nearby slum- dominated Poysar area had parked their vehicles there. 

An autorickshaw driver from Poysar said it was a double whammy for him as water had entered inside his house on Sunday morning and his three-wheeler was among the affected vehicles in the parking lot. He said he will need at least Rs 30,000 to get his autorickshaw up and running on road again. 

The BMC said it will take a decision about giving compensation to the vehicle owners only after studying parking conditions and the agreement signed with the contractor. "After studying all the facts, we will take a decision accordingly," said P Velarasu, additional municipal commissioner.