Mumbai: BMC sets May 31 deadline for desilting, focuses on waterlogging hotspots ahead of monsoon

With the monsoon approaching the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has stepped up its premonsoon preparedness directing officials to prioritise desilting work in areas that are prone to waterlogging and urban floodingMunicipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide who reviewed ongoing desilting operations across the city on Tuesday instructed civic teams to ensure that the cleaning of stormwater drains is completed in a timebound manner by May 31 2026 She stressed that the deadline must be met ldquounder any circumstancesrdquoFocus on floodprone locationsDuring inspections at key sites including BandraKurla Complex Worli and the DadarDharavi stretch Bhide emphasised the need to identify and target areas that historically witness waterlogging during heavy rainfallOfficials were asked to map such vulnerable spots within each drainrsquos catchment area and prioritise the removal of accumulated silt and garbage The directive comes amid recurring flooding issues in several lowlying parts of Mumbai during intense monsoon spellsAt the Nehru Science Centre drain in Worli the commissioner reviewed the pace of work and sought strict adherence to timelines while also calling for improved coordination among departments involved in stormwater managementManhole safety under scrutinyApart from desilting the civic body has also turned its attention to the condition of manholes and drain covers across the city Bhide instructed officials to carry out detailed inspections to ensure that all manholes are secure and functioning properly before the rains set inProtective grilles installed at various locations are to be checked and repaired where necessary The move is aimed at preventing accidents and ensuring uninterrupted flow of rainwater during peak monsoonSpecial focus has been placed on chronic flooding points such as Worli Naka and Saat Rasta Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk Officials have been told to work closely with metro and road authorities to ensure that lateral connections to stormwater drains remain unobstructedGarbage dumping damaged drains raise concernsAt the DadarDharavi drain civic officials flagged the persistent issue of garbage being dumped into the water channels which hampers desilting efforts and reduces carrying capacityThe commissioner noted that such stretches may require repeated cleaning cycles She also raised concerns over damaged sections of drain walls upstream which pose safety risks and could impact water flowImmediate repairs have been ordered along with the installation of additional protective barriers in areas where dumping is frequentMithi River works under reviewDesilting work on the Mithi River is currently underway at multiple locations under three project packages Reviewing the progress Bhide directed officials to assess the availability of machinery and deploy additional resources if required to speed up operationsShe underlined that while meeting deadlines is important the quality of work must not be compromised To improve monitoring the BMC is using an artificial intelligencebased system to track desilting activities and ensure transparency in executionSenior civic officials including Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar and engineers from the stormwater drains department were present during the inspections