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43% desilting done, Hindmata may not get waterlogged: Mumbai civic body
HT CORRESPONDENT Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday said that it has completed 43% of the desilting works for major nullahs
HT CORRESPONDENT
Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday said that it has completed 43% of the desilting works for major nullahs. This year, Hindmata area might also get some relief from waterlogging as the civic body is constructing a holding tank to store rain water for around 90 minutes.
“We are anticipating that this year will be comparatively better when it comes to waterlogging. We have attended the main problem at Hindmata. We are constructing an underground tank in a nearby open space that will store water for around 90 minutes during heavy rainfall. Our ultimate aim is to have a capacity of storing rainwater for four hours. We will augment the capacity in the coming days,” additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu said.
In a review meeting taken by Mumbai guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday with officials, BMC has maintained that all the road repair and rain-related drain works will be completed before the monsoon.
The officials informed the minister that this year, 470 pumps will be installed in the city to pump out rain water at low-lying areas. It also claimed that 43% sludge has been removed from major nullahs, while 24% has been cleared from Mithi river so far. The deadline for completing desilting works end in the last week of May.
According to BMC officials, all the chronic spots identified by it last year after heavy rainfall in south Mumbai have been attended to and it is expected that there will not be flooding this year. BMC also informed that the landslide-prone area near Malabar Hill will have a 103-metre retaining wall built around it and the road work on the parallel road will also be completed before monsoon.
“In the coming months, we will also identify locations for tanks based on the experience at Hindmata. There have been suggestions for the locations in the western suburbs and Byculla, none have been finalised yet,” Velrasu added.
Meanwhile, BMC officials will also prepare a master plan for the 2,000-km-long road network in the city. On a pilot basis, two wards will be chosen for planning the road repair and maintenance, instead of undertaking work based on demand.
“We also discussed the two important projects, which includes the beautification of the Powai lake area and the construction of a board walkway between Bandra Fort and Mahim. The permissions are being worked out for the projects and they can be completed in a year,” Verasu added.”
