The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday slammed the BMC for “poor progress” of pre-monsoon works. The onset of the monsoon is hardly two weeks away, said the party, adding that though the BMC has made tall claims, “very little work” has been done in actuality. We have realised that the BMC’s claims are far removed from ground reality. Civic staff is pro-contractor as very less desilting has happened in areas where the civic body claimed of completing the works. Storm water drains haven’t been adequately cleaned and several spots prone to chronic flooding are still clogged,” alleged the AAP team, after 'inspecting' the works done.
Mumbai will flood this year too, owning to the BMC's shoddy pre-monsoon preparations. BMC's pre-monsoon preparation is an annual ritual, an ungrounded formality and opportunity for contractors to pocket large sums of money," AAP Mumbai's vice-president Gopal Jhaveri said.No cleaning has been undertaken in slum areas, nothing has been done in landslide-prone areas, manholes and drain covers are either broken or not in place in several locations, footpaths, road dividers are also broken, utility cables across the city are hanging. All this would be dangerous during monsoon, while debris and other solid waste on roads and footpaths may choke the stormwater drain, AAP asserted.