MUMBAI, July 9 -- Stung by criticism after Mumbai was brought to its knees by flooding during the season's first spell of heavy rain, the Maharashtra government has unveiled a Rs.13,000-crore flood-control plan to ensure the city never goes under again. The project aims to eliminate 370 flood-prone hotspots by upgrading the city's drainage system, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislative assembly on Wednesday. "We have identified 370 flooding hotspots, where water accumulates during heavy rainfall, especially during high tides. The project will put in place a system that can clear waterlogging at all 370 locations within 30 minutes," he said. On the widespread flooding that virtually brought Mumbai to a standstill, Fadnavis said the rainfall was unprecedented. "On average, Mumbai records 734mm of rainfall at Colaba and 856mm at Santacruz in July. This year, however, in just the first six days of the month, Colaba received 882mm of rainfall, or 111% of its average July total, while Santacruz recorded 988mm, or 102% of its average July rainfall," Fadnavis said. He said the rain was so intense that Mumbai received almost 90% of its average July rainfall in just four days. "Mumbai's average monsoon rainfall is 2,318mm. The rainfall received in those four days alone accounted for 42% of the city's average seasonal monsoon total," he noted. Responding to criticism on the damage to the newly inaugurated Connecting Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Fadnavis reiterated that it was an "engineering feat" and said experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) had recommended measures to prevent a recurrence. The Connecting Link was closed for nearly 18 hours on Monday after a landslide triggered flooding and waterlogging at the mouth of the tunnel's Khandala exit. "What occurred was a landslide. There was no crack in the bridge or the tunnel. A crane reached the site 3 minutes after the emergency button was pressed," he said. "You are free to criticise me, but I will not allow anyone to defame Maharashtra," Fadnavis remarked, warning those who, he alleged, were spreading misinformation about the state on social media in exchange for money. Fadnavis said Mumbai's daily water requirement is 4,665 MLD, against a supply of 4,100 MLD, leaving a 565-MLD deficit. He said the Gargai project, expected to be completed by May 2029, will add 500 MLD to the city's supply, after securing forest clearance. He admitted that the city had narrowly avoided a water crisis, with reservoir levels falling below 10%. He also said the 400-MLD and 200-MLD desalination projects at Manori and Versova, along with Gargai, would add more than 1,000 MLD to the city's water supply by 2030. To address Mumbai's parking crisis, the government is mulling the construction of parking infrastructure beneath maidans. Citing the Oval and Cross maidans as examples, Fadnavis said, "The project will involve significant investment, but we will develop a viable financial model." He announced a G+23 robotic parking facility at Worli with a capacity for 640 cars and 112 two-wheelers, along with an underground parking project in 'A' Ward. He said 27 proposals for underground parking facilities had been received and advisors were being appointed to take the projects forward. The chief minister said the situation in Vasai-Virar remained serious due to incessant rainfall. The region has been receiving around 100mm of rain daily, with 325mm recorded on July 6 and 202mm on July 7. Over the last 72 hours, the region received 672mm of rainfall. "NDRF and SDRF teams had been deployed, while repair work was underway to restore damaged mobile and power infrastructure. Electricity supply has been suspended in some areas due to extensive damage to the network and would be restored as soon as it is safe," he said....