Nullahs’ cleanup in one zone in Mumbai to miss deadline, BMC reassigns work

Mumbai: The rains are just days away and nullah desilting work in zone 5, which includes Kurla, Chunabhatti, Deonar, Anushakti Nagar, Govandi, Mankhurd and Tilak Nagar in Chembur, is nowhere close to completion.The work has now been assigned to the contractor handling zone 6. BMC expects the cleanup operation in zone 5 to be completed only by June 10, missing the May 31 deadline. According to the civic body, 69% of the target in the zone has been achieved.The civic standing committee directed the administration to take strict action against the errant contractor. Committee chairperson Prabhakar Shinde said if the contractor lacked the required equipment, it amounted to cheating the civic body.Leader of the House in BMC Ganesh Khankar said an inspection at BKC on Monday revealed an unauthorised two-storey structure over a nullah. Khankar asked the administration why it had not removed the structure. He also pointed out that there were no engineers monitoring the work at the site.BMC health committee chairperson Harish Bhandirge said he had written to the administration on May 6 saying desilting work was not being carried out in zone 5. Thereafter, he visited some nullahs, along with civic officials, on May 13 and found that no work had been undertaken. He said officials assured him that work would begin the next day. “I visited nullahs again on May 23. Still no work had been initiated. After I warned that I would raise the issue before the standing committee, civic officials deployed equipment at Bharati Nagar nullah and carried out some token work,” he said.NCP functionary Sayeeda Khan reiterated that BMC is neglecting stormwater drain outfalls.According to the civic body, 96% of the overall desilting operations and 64% of the work on Mithi river have been completed.