- An auto-rickshaw skeleton and furniture were found in Mumbai drains in monsoon clean-up
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers had to use a crane to take the auto out of the drain
- Mattresses, beds, heavy electronic appliances and scrap material were also recovered from drains
An auto-rickshaw, beds, mattresses and sofas were among the discarded items that were recovered from drains during a clean-up drive ahead of the monsoon in Mumbai.
The auto-rickshaw skeleton was found in a drain in Sakinaka in Andheri East on Monday. A video showed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers using a crane to take the auto out of the drain.
#Watch | Unusual findings emerge from Mumbai drains before monsoon pic.twitter.com/1LDcDgGAKJ
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2026
They also found old sofas, mattresses, beds, heavy electronic appliances and scrap material from other drains.
With weather analysts expecting an early arrival of the monsoon in Mumbai -- around June 5 this year -- the officials have started clearing drains and removing items that obstruct the flow of water and lead to waterlogging during the rain.
According to BMC, about 77 per cent of the desilting of the city's drains has been completed till Tuesday.
बृहन्मुंबई क्षेत्रातील नालेस्वच्छतेचा दैनंदिन प्रगती अहवाल – दिनांक १९ मे २०२६ पर्यंत #MyBMCUpdates pic.twitter.com/0zwBySgM9R
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) May 19, 2026
Emergency-Response System For Monsoon
Mumbai's development authority, the MMRDA, has initiated an extensive multi-tier monsoon preparedness and emergency-response framework across all ongoing metro and infrastructure projects in the city.
As part of the preparedness framework, the MMRD or the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, has directed all contractors executing metro and engineering works to submit mandatory Site-Specific Monsoon Preparedness Plans (SMPP) within the prescribed timeline.
The plans must include detailed provisions for dewatering systems, slope protection, waterproofing, labour safety, emergency material inventory, flood-risk mitigation and emergency-response protocols linked directly to MMRDA's Emergency Control Room.
Contractors have also been instructed to clear debris, repair damaged drains and footpaths, secure reinforcement structures against high winds and ensure that all electrical systems are tested to prevent monsoon-related hazards.
In view of the approaching monsoons, MMRDA has activated a large-scale monsoon preparedness framework across metro corridors and infrastructure projects to help ensure safer roads, smoother mobility and faster emergency response for citizens during heavy rainfall.
— MMRDA (@MMRDAOfficial) May 19, 2026
Contractors… pic.twitter.com/ixtdSEIE3b
MMRDA has additionally directed all contractors and consultants to suspend high-risk construction activities, including girder launching, during IMD and municipal red alert conditions and ensure that labour camps located in flood-prone areas are relocated before the peak monsoon period.
A 24x7 disaster control room will remain operational from May 25 to October 15 for complaints.
Mumbai Likely To See Monsoon In First Week Of June
The monsoon is expected to arrive in Mumbai by June 5 this year. Last year, the city recorded its earliest monsoon onset in 75 years on May 26.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said the southwest monsoon is likely to arrive in Kerala around May 26. It said the arrival of the monsoon could vary by four days, either before or after May 26.
It said the southwest monsoon has advanced into most parts of the southeast Arabian Sea and some parts of the Kanyakumari region.
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