The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has once again imposed penalties on contractors for slow progress in cleaning nullahs in Bandra and Vile Parle. The civic body imposed a penalty of Rs 2.5 lakh for sluggish work on Friday.
During site inspections, it was observed that the Chamadawadi nullah in Bandra and Irla in Vile Parle were not cleaned as per the specified deadline. "There was insufficient progress in the cleaning activities at these two nullahs, resulting in fines for the contractors," explained Abhijit Bangar, Additional Commissioner (Projects).
Also Read | Mumbai Monsoon: BMC Finishes 99% of Desilting Work on Major and Minor Nallahs, Including Mithi River.
Last week, the civic chief conducted a review meeting on monsoon preparedness and instructed deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners to conduct twice-daily visits to desilting sites to monitor progress. Previously, the BMC levied a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on contractors for delays in completion and for deploying inadequate machinery as per the agreed schedule. A total of 31 contractors were fined, totalling Rs 30 lakh.
Every year before the monsoon season, the civic body undertakes the cleaning of drains, which includes major nullahs, minor nullahs, the Mithi River, and drains along highways.
This year, the civic body has allocated Rs 249 crores for desilting activities. According to BMC, the plan involves the removal of 13.1 crore metric tonnes (MT) of silt over the next year. Out of this, approximately 10.2 crore MT will be removed by May 2024, before the onset of the monsoon, while 1.57 lakh MT will be removed during the monsoon season. The remaining 1.32 lakh MT of silt will be cleared between October 2024 and March 2025. In March, the civic body appointed 31 agencies to undertake this work.