80% of Nariman Point may be submerged by 2050: Iqbal Singh Chahal

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal told the media that almost 80% of Nariman Point and Mantralaya will be underwater and almost 70% of the city’s A, B, C, and D wards, which cover major south Mumbai parts, will be submerged due to the rise in the sea level by 2050. It would be a dangerous situation for the next 25 years as nature is giving warnings, said Chahal at the launch of the Mumbai climate action plan website. He addressed the areas which included almost 80% of Cuffe Parade, Mantralaya in Churchgate, and Nariman Point. Areas like Marine Lines, Girgaon, Umarkhadi, Mohammad Ali Road, and Breach Candy, all in the island city, are also set to suffer flooding up to 70% by 2050 due to climate change. Last February, a report from McKinsey India had said that Mumbai would observe a 25% rise in the intensity of flash floods and a 0.5 m increase in the sea level by 2050, which will hit two to three million people residing within a one km coastline radius. Experts have also cautioned that extreme rainfall will become more frequent in Mumbai. Chahal said that there have been three cyclones in the last 15 months in Mumbai. Due to heavy rain, many south Mumbai parts were submerged in up to 5-feet of water on August 5, 2020. He added that the city is observing extreme weather events. This year, 70% of the average rainfall of July was received in just four days – from July 17 to 20. Due to cyclones, while the average rainfall is zero, 200 mm of rainfall was noted in May. During the monsoon, Mumbai has been observing at least two to three days of extreme rainfall in recent years. This year alone, on July 16 and 18, Mumbai registered over 235 mm and 253 mm of rainfall, individually, within a few hours leading to flooding in many city parts. Mumbai also faced the first extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae. Image Source