According to the BMC, apart from its yearly work of desilting of major and minor nallahs, it can do little else to prevent the rains from turning these spots into mini waaterworlds. There are factors like low-lying areas, tidal conditions, encroachments on storm water drains (SWD) and disposal of garbage, factors which are beyond its control, it says.

According to Deputy Municipal Commissioner N B Achrekar, people complain about flooding taking place under subways. ``Subways are not really meant for travelling. They were originally railway culverts for water passage. In fair weather and the absence of an alternate route, they were used by people as thoroughfares to move from the east to the west. People expect to use them as passage and grumble about the water,'' he says.

A spot survey of four of the city's mostchronic spots reveales that the BMC's efforts seem to be a stopgap arrangement that may do little to completely prevent flooding this year.

Milan Subway, Santacruz: Ensconed between Santacruz and Vile Parle, the subway is way below the tidal level. Every year, a temporary platform made of an MS plate and supported on a steel structure is constructed to facilitate light vehicular traffic. This year, the Airports Authority of India has permitted the BMC to excavate a trench three metres wide, 1.5 metres deep and 300 metres long for flood water accumulation. This would divert part of the water from Makarand Ghanekar Marg coming into the subway towards the Western Express Highway and from there on to the airport area. This could reduce the quantity of water formed at the subway, said deputy chief engineer (Western suburbs) Jeetendra Shah.

King's Circle, matunga: IN the news in a big way last year when rain water didn't drain for over four days, all eyes are at this nodal point in the city's traffic this year.The choke-up last year was because of clogging of drains due to plastic, vessels and garbage. This year, the BMC has laid an 1,800 diameter pipe near Shanmukhananda Hall upto to Raoji Ganatra Road at CGS Colony, Antop Hill as an outlet.

However, today's downpour has left residents questioning the BMC's efforts. ``With just two hours of rain between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm today, the BMC's stormwater drainage system seems to have failed again at King Circle, causing a traffic jam,'' said R Sridhar, a consumer activist from the area. ``Has the BMC really connected the pipe which has been purportedly been laid to solve flooding?'' he asked.

D N Nagar, Andheri (West): Originally a creek which was reclaimed, D N Nagar is a low-lying area whose flood receding capacity has reduced. This year as well, there will be few dry spots. Local civic engineers have prepared a scheme by which rain water will recede at the earliest, including suggestions for regrading and restructuring some SWDs, building culverts to enablewater to pass to Versova creek. However, the scheme will not be implemented this year, said a civic official.

Another portion of DN Road which crosses JP Road has been linked from the Link Road to a culvert discharging into the creek. A 1,200 mm pipe has been laid on one side of it to discharge storm water into the creek. While flooding may reduce at the north of J P Road, towards the south-end, there will be no respite.

LBS Road, Kurla: FLOODING is very severe on this stretch, leaving traffic stranded. ``It all depends on the Mithi River, the intensity of the rain and tidal conditions. We have tried to minimise flooding by desilting outlets leading to creeks or to the Mithi River,'' said deputy engineer (eastern suburbs) M K Paradia.

Flooding spots: In the eastern suburbs: Eastern Express Highway, mainly in Kurla and Chembur: Postal Colony, Chheda Nagar, Thakkar Bappa Colony, Vatsalatai Nagar slums, Road No 10 and 11 in Chembur, Cama Lane in Ghatkopar, Station Road around Kesarbaug Nallah in Mulund(East), Parksite Colony in Vikhroli, L B S Marg in Kurla (West) and Children's Aid Society at Mankhurd.

A social worker from Shivaji Nagar said most slums rest upon what was originally a creek. ``Shivaji Nagar which is part of Deonar is sandwiched alongwith Deonar dump. Now, it has nearly 4 lakh slums, with no connecting sewerage line. "Garbage accumulation keeps the slums on a lower level, leading to flooding. The civic corporation is now laying a sewerage line on the road towards Bhainganwadi. But why start work now when monsoon has started,'' he asks.

Western suburbs; Khar and Milan subways, D N Nagar, SV Road, Jogeshwari, JVPD scheme, Prabhat Colony at Santacruz (East), SV and J P road nakas, Kurar Village in Malad (East).