As Mumbaiites wade through water, BJP and Sena play blame game

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday had rushed to civic body’s disaster control cell at the BMC headquarters to monitor the situation.

The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued to bicker on Monday even as Mumbaiites faced inconvenience because of water-logging across the city.

Water-logging on SV Road in Bandra. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

Both the Sena and the BJP traded blows to endorse their stance on waterlogging. Kicking off the debate, president of the BJP’s Mumbai unit, Ashish Shelar, said the Sena cannot shrink from taking responsibility of waterlogging. “Those who boast of getting work done should not run away at his juncture,” said Shelar.

Owing to the waterlogged streets, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray rushed to civic body’s disaster control cell at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters to monitor the situation. “Today Mumbai received rainfall more than Cherapunji (which records the highest). However ,there was no serious waterlogging as the water dispersed quickly. We need to understand that Mumbai is an island and there are many low-lying areas. The situation is under control,” said Thackeray.

Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, who is from the Sena, said his party is serious about tackling the issue. “We have never run away from responsibility. If the CM is really serious, then he should give us executive powers,” said Mahadeshwar.