The BMC wants to remove 3.48 lakh tonnes of silt from nullahs across the city before May 31. Right now, approximately 1.2 lakh tonnes have been removed which is 34 per cent of the 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 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has completed 34 per cent of its drain-cleaning target. 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 if one stretches this to May 31, a report stated in this paper.
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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 by over 30 days.
The BMC wants to remove 3.48 lakh tonnes of silt from nullahs across the city before May 31. Right now, approximately 1.2 lakh tonnes have been removed which is 34 per cent of the target.
The progress on drain cleaning in the western suburbs is 34 per cent while it is 43 per cent in the eastern suburbs and about 16 per cent in south of the city.
Now it must be action stations for every part of the city so that desilting is brought up to speed. Every effort must be made to press the gas pedal. In fact, there also must be investigation and action on the late start. We must learn our lessons and see that there is no repeat the next year and we start early enough to get the job completed well in time.
The officials are facing a real challenge this time as the city has just opened up post-pandemic slowdowns and there is so much uncertainty about potential COVID waves in the months to come.
In this scenario our roads and public infra have to be on point, our medical workers ready for typical monsoon ailments and cases, and all the challenges that the monsoon brings to Mumbai.
Less flooding will improve matters greatly overall.
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