Following the 26/7 deluge, the Bombay High Court witnessed a flood of PILs seeking action against authorities overlooking pothole-ridden roads, a clogged Mithi River, outdated drainage system and blocked storm water drains.
MUMBAI: Following the 26/7 deluge, the Bombay High Court witnessed a flood of PILs seeking action against authorities overlooking pothole-ridden roads, a clogged Mithi River, outdated drainage system and blocked storm water drains. DNA does a status check on the petitions which seek to improve the quality of life for the average Mumbaikar:
Rivers that run through it
The credit for areas like Kalina, Vakola and Kurla facing only knee-deep flooding after the recent rains goes largely to the clean-up of the 17-km stretch of the Mithi River.
A PIL filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on the rejuvenation of the river had the HC monitoring every step of the government’s high-profile clean-up operation. With Phase I of the clean-up drive complete, Phase II is scheduled to start on November 15.
Another PIL filed by Bhrastachar Nirmoolan Samiti highlighted the pathetic state of other rivers—Oshiwara, Dahisar and Poisar—and sought the upgrading of the city’s drainage system.
Roads to hell
Despite various orders in three PILs on pothole-ridden roads, the HC on July 5 observed that nothing seemed to have changed over the past one year. Last July, the HC had converted a letter written by Dr Sandeep Rane on the dangers of pathetic roads into a suo motu PIL.
Two other PILs filed by Bhagwanji Raiyani and Kewal Semlani among other prayers sought full utilisation of the allocated BMC budget and implementation of the recommendations made in the Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) Report in December 2004.
The court has also asked BMC to consider taking action against contractors using sub-standard material for road repairs and maintenance.
Casting for a forecast system
A state-of-the-art Dopplar Radar was touted as the answer to Mumbai’s woes of last year’s rains. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) could not find a location for the 15-crore system, weighing over 15 tonnes and having a 1000-km range.
In September 2005, following a PIL filed by Project Smita, the HC directed IMD to identify a location for installing the radar. However in the highrise haven, IMD till date has not been able to identify a site which provides four to five km of unobstructed land in the city or outskirts.
Managing Disaster
Celebrities like Mahesh Bhatt, Ashok Pandit, Alyque Padamse, Soni Razdan and Vinita Nanda marched into the HC under the banner of Project Smita with a PIL demanding better disaster preparedness for the city.
The PIL sought to fix responsibility for the destruction of life and property and speedy rehabilitation plan with the involvement of citizens to ensure transparency in the handing out of compensation packages.
The court took up the compensation aspect on a priority basis and the NGO pitched in to assist the government in the task.
Prayers regarding incorporation of guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry in the Disaster Management Status Report, 2004, and checking rampant land reclamation and destruction of mangroves along the coastline are still to be taken up.
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