E-tenders worth Rs 300 crore for nullah works: BMC departments splurge before the election surge

The works include not just cleaning and repair of nullahs but also their construction. Pic/Satej Shinde

As the term of the current office bearers in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) comes to an end (March 7), its various departments are in a hurry to get their work proposals approved. The Storm Water Drain Department has published e-tenders for widening and repairing 47 nullahs across the eastern and western suburbs, worth Rs 293 crore. The proposals for cleaning these nullahs worth Rs 200 crore will also be tabled in the standing committee meeting.

The BMC had sanctioned proposals for civic roads worth Rs 2,200 crore in December and January. Tenders and proposals for many bridges, gardens/parks are in the pipeline. The BMC increased the budget allocation of the SWD department from Rs 985 crore to Rs 1,391 crore in the current fiscal year. The municipal commissioner has proposed to sanction Rs 1,540 crore in 2022-23 for works under the SWD.

The tender floated by the SWD department includes various works like augmentation of nullahs, their repairs and construction of walls around them, etc. These works include construction of Pancholia nullah at Borivli, construction of a protective wall on the Dahisar river, construction of Kajupada nullah and Kokani Pada nullah at Savitri Niwas, and the remaining work of PMG nullah. Most of the work is in the Western and Eastern suburbs. The cost of each of these works is between Rs 2-crore to Rs 9-crore and the total cost is Rs 293 crore. The last day for completing the tender process is February 22 and the department might send the proposals to the standing committee before the end of the term.

Why the hurry

"Though the administrator has the power to approve the proposals, new works cannot be sanctioned once the code of conduct for the BMC election is in force. There are hardly three weeks left and all the departments and ward offices are in a rush to invite and confirm tenders before the second week of March," said a BMC official. For monsoon 2022, the budget provision of Rs 80 crore, Rs 110 crore, and Rs 46 crore is proposed for desilting of major and minor nullahs and the Mithi River, respectively. These proposals will also be tabled in the standing committee in the coming weeks.