DNA Rain Check: Thane locals rue surface cleanup

The residents of Chikhalwadi and Indiranagar slums in Thane are only partially satisfied as the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has carried out nullah cleaning in their areas, but many think it is a half-hearted, superficial job, and have prepared themselves to be submerged if it rains heavily.

After DNA did a rain audit of areas in Thane which get flooded/waterlogged during heavy rains every monsoon, the TMC undertook cleaning of the nullahs of Chikhalwadi in Naupada, Thane West. But the residents have criticised the "half-hearted effort". They said being submerged in rainwater or waiting the showers out on the roads would be their options this monsoon.

"TMC people did come here and cleaned the nullahs. They also built a chamber near Dnyansadhana College, on the opposite side of the road where our nullah joins a bigger one," said Jayprakash Yadav, a resident of Chikhalwadi. "But as the bigger nullah is not cleaned properly, the risk of being submerged remains," he said. The nullah runs perpendicular to the nullah near the college and requires more efforts.

"They did some jetting on Friday to clean the muck which jams the perpendicular pipe joining the two nullahs. But that is not enough," said Ratnesh Mishra, another resident.

"When it would rain heavily the water from the bigger nullah will enter ours and thus submerge the area. I think this monsoon cleaning will prove to be of absolutely no use," said Yadav.

The residents of Indiranagar are, however, happy that DNA's report helped them to get the nullahs cleaned. "They have cleaned the nullah in the past three days but are using labourers instead of JCB and lots more needs to be done," said activist Meghraj Pandey from Valmikipada, Indiranagar.

"With monsoon at our doorstep it looks like the cleaning work will not be complete and our area would still get flooded," he added.

Corporator Pratibha Madhvi from ward no. 21, Naupada, said that she has written to the TMC asking the authority to clean the nullah properly but to no avail. "They should clean the nullahs 10-15 feet deep but the contractor has done a surface cleaning job. If anything happens to the residents here, it would be the TMC's responsibility," she said.