Opposition to go nullah hopping, 'expose' BMC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed that it has completed 100 per cent of Nullah cleaning until the first week of June. However, activists and opposition parties are refuting the civic body's claims. Activists have shared pictures of nullahs overflowing with garbage from the Andheri area. Congress corporators along with Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora will inspect nullahs on Friday to expose the civic body's claims.

The BMC hired contractors to desilt nullahs spending a total of Rs 135 crores. The BMC pays an approximate Rs 17 per metric ton of silt. The cleaning of all nullahs was supposed to get over before May 31. But this time the cleaning of nullahs were going on in the first week of June.

"As per the contract, the contractor has to clean 70 per cent of silt before the monsoon. This work has been completed," said an officer from the Storm Water Department.

However, activists are blaming BMC for the tall claims. "The nullah desilting and cleaning work are left incomplete in K East ward. The nullah in Sahar village and another at Church Road, Marol are still full of garbage," said Godfrey Pimenta, activist. Most of the time civic body brushes away such claims by suggesting that it is floating garbage however photos from the Sahar village clearly suggest that the nullah is full of silt. "The BMC makes claims that they clean all the nullahs but the reality turns out to be disappointing," said Ravi Raja, leader of opposition in BMC. The visit will start early morning on Friday from Dharavi 60 feet road nullah and the leaders will check nullahs across the city.

The city has around 700 km nullahs which act as a stormwater drain in the monsoon. Out of this 700 km, length of major nullah's (more than 5 metres wide) is 248 km, minor nullahs are 421 km in length and Mithi river is 20 km in length. The contractor is supposed to clean 70 per cent silt before 31st May. The second part is executed during the monsoon and the third part is carried out after the rains. As per official data BMC has completed 85 per cent of estimated work up till now.

Ready for ailments

• Fever OPDs in the civic hospital
• 1300 beds reserved for monsoon-related admission
• Free medicine available in hospitals
• Inspection of mosquito breeding spots

Monsoon Do's & Don’ts

• Citizens should wear closed shoes
• Don’t forget your umbrella while travelling
• Citizens should visit a doctor if they suffer from cold, cough and flu