BMC forms squads to supervise drain desilting work ahead of monsoon

Encroachments along the banks of Mithi river at BKC. File Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed squads to supervise the desilting work of drains in the city ahead of the forthcoming monsoon season. BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Wednesday announced the drain desilting work inspection from Thursday- starting from the Mithi river in the Bandra Kurla Complex.

A BJP delegation led by MLA Ashish Shelar had met Chahal on Wednesday and demanded that a task force be set up to keep a check on the drain desilting process as part of the pre-monsoon prepration works. The BJP claimed that not more than 10 per cent of the desilting work was completed so far.

Shelar said the BMC had set a target of removing 3.12 lakh metric tonne of silt in 2020 and the target was increased to 4.16 lakh metric tonne in 2021. But, in 2022, the civic body brought the target down to 2.51 lakh metric tonne, he told reporters. He claimed that the work contract cost has increased to Rs 160 crore this year from Rs 132 crore in 2021. "If less quantity of silt will be removed from drains, then why the BMC is paying more ?" he asked.

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