Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam asks BMC to eschew contractors and execute Mithi desilting on its own

MUMBAI: Following a TOI report on March 4 about how the BMC scaled down both the extent and cost of desilting of the Mithi river ahead of the monsoon, Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam on Thursday raised the issue with Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde and the civic chief.In a letter sent on March 5, Satam argued that the civic body should consider carrying out the desilting work departmentally instead of relying on contractors. "River desilting is not rocket science. The BMC can hire or procure machinery, deploy labour and execute the work itself. This could lead to significant cost savings while also ensuring quality work and breaking the monopoly and blackmailing established by certain contractors," Satam wrote. He also pointed out that the civic body previously experimented with a similar model while cleaning the beach at Juhu Beach. The letter comes at a time when the civic administration is also uncertain whether contractors will come forward to undertake the Mithi desilting work, particularly after a police probe into alleged irregularities in the process last year.Desilting of the Mithi river is carried out annually in 3 stretches: from Filterpada, Powai, to Teacher's Colony Outfall in Kurla; Teacher's Colony Outfall to the New BKC Connector Bridge; and from the New BKC Connector Bridge to Mahim Causeway, along with its tail channels and connected outfalls, in the third phase.Last year, of the 3 companies awarded a 2-year contract for desilting Mithi, 2 failed to complete the work after getting embroiled in corruption cases and with the arrest of contractors and civic officials. The BMC subsequently foreclosed the contract, blacklisted all 3 firms and terminated their contracts, leaving the river-cleaning exercise in limbo. This past weekend, the BMC floated a fresh tender for desilting 1.65 lakh metric tonnes of silt, a steep reduction from 2.67 lakh metric tonnes last year, also bringing the contract value down by nearly half—from Rs 48 crore to Rs 29.5 crore.