BMC struggles to get city rain-ready

MUMBAI: E very year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) assures citizens of a flood-free monsoon. However, these claims are washed away with the first

MUMBAI: E very year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) assures citizens of a flood-free monsoon. However, these claims are washed away with the first bout of rains. Will the civic body’s pre-monsoon preparedness, ensure a hassle-free monsoon for the city this year?

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The BMC’s deadline for completing de-silting works in the city was earlier May 31. However, it recently pushed the deadline to June 5 owing to assigning late contracts. It has claimed to finish 90 per cent of the work, but residents complain that the silt is not transported to the dumping grounds regularly. This will pose a problem if rains hit early and the silt flows to the drains again.

Nikhil Desai, a resident activist from Matunga said, “There are heaps of debris in Gandhi market in Matunga that need to be removed. Even the road works have not been completed yet.”

The BMC had undertaken works on 376 city roads, completing only 119 till mid-May. 134 are still in progress, said officials.