Mumbai: With the monsoon season around the corner, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified pre-monsoon desilting work across major stormwater drains and rivers to minimize flooding in the city. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), Abhijit Bangar, personally inspected key sites on April 10, emphasizing faster, smarter, and cleaner execution.
Bangar visited major drains in the eastern suburbs, including the Somaiya Nalla in Ghatkopar, Mahul Creek in Kurla and Chembur, and other low-lying flood-prone areas like Wadala, Nehru Nagar, and Dharavi. He also reviewed the ongoing desilting work along the Mithi River near Bandra-Kurla Complex.
Speaking to engineers and local officials, Bangar stressed that desilting must go beyond routine silt removal. “We need structured, drain-wise and day-wise planning, with field supervision—not just office reviews,” he said. He ordered the immediate installation of mesh fencing along key drains to stop citizens from dumping garbage.
Several infrastructure upgrades are underway. The BMC is replacing narrow drains near Jolly Gymkhana and Meghraj Junction with wider box drains to improve water discharge. In Kurla, a new stormwater holding pond and pumping system is being proposed to ease waterlogging.
Bangar also expressed concern over consistent garbage dumping in areas like Dharavi and Wadala, demanding repeated cleaning and community awareness. He called for better coordination between ward offices and engineering teams to ensure seamless execution.
The 17-km-long Mithi River is also getting priority attention. Bangar mandated micro-level planning for each stretch, CCTV surveillance at weighing stations, and a strict May 31 deadline for desilting completion.
Senior civic officials, including Deputy Commissioner Shashank Bhore and Chief Engineer Shridhar Chaudhary, accompanied him during the inspections.
With these efforts, BMC aims to avoid the annual flood chaos and keep Mumbai moving during the heavy rains of 2025.