Ahead of monsoon, BMC completes only one-third of its drain-cleaning target

A machine removes silt from Mithi river, at BKC, on April 14. Pic/Shadab Khan

With little over a month to go before the monsoon hits the city, the BMC has completed just 34 per cent of its drain-cleaning target. While civic chief I S Chahal had asked his teams to get nullahs cleaned in double shifts and finish the work by May 15, it is unlikely that it would be done even by May 31.

Clogged drains often trigger flooding during heavy rain. The cleaning of nullahs starts from the first week of March. But this year it was delayed. Of the seven civic zones in the city, the BMC's standing committee approved a proposal to clean drains only in one zone before the corporation's term ended on March 7.

A civic official inspects cleaning of Mithi river at BKC, on April 14. Pic/Shadab Khan

The BMC chief, who then assumed the role of the administrator, cleared the rest of the proposals and the work started on April 4. The BMC will spend Rs 162 crore for the pre-monsoon desilting job, including cleaning of Mithi river.

Of its annual target of clearing silt from nullahs and the Mithi river, 75 per cent of the work is done before monsoon, 10 per cent during the rainy season and 15 per cent is taken up post-rain. This year, BMC has set a target of clearing 4.63 lakh metric tonnes of silt from nullahs and 2.75 lakh metric tonnes of sediments from Mithi.

BMC wants to remove 3.48 lakh tonnes of silt from nullahs before May 31. "Of this, 1.2 lakh tonnes have been removed till May 3, which is 34 per cent of the target. In the western suburbs, the progress is 34 per cent, while it is 43 per cent in the eastern suburbs. About 16 per cent of the silt has been cleared in the south city," said a BMC official.

About 80 per cent of the target for Mithi desilting has been completed, said civic officials.

May 31
Day by when the work has to be completed