Uddhav, mayor plan aerial survey of river desilting

On Saturday, the city’s mayor and municipal commissioner plan to fly in a helicopter to inspect progress on nullah cleaning at sites across the city, reports Sujit Mahamulkar.

On Saturday, the city’s mayor and municipal commissioner plan to fly in a helicopter to inspect progress on nullah cleaning at sites across the city.

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Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, Mayor Shraddha Jadhav, Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya and V N Sontakke of MWH India, a private firm, will conduct an aerial survey over four rivers — Mithi, Poisar, Dahisar and Oshiwara.

MWH is a US-based consultancy studying the city’s drainage system, and is tasked with preparing a revised plan for the BMC’s much delayed storm water drain project, Brimstowad.

Two rivers will be inspected from 10.30 am to 11.30 am, the second round will be between 2 pm and 3 pm. Jadhav confirmed the helicopter visit but would not say who is to bear the cost of this exercise.

“The programme was finalised on Friday evening and the BMC will bear the cost of the aerial inspection,” a BMC source said on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, Thackeray visited eight nullah sites in the western suburbs, where he said progress on the work was not satisfactory.

He also said if the city faced a flood-like situation this monsoon because of the Mithi river — which was an important aspect of the 2005 floods — the state government was to be blamed.

He also visited nullah sites in the eastern suburbs on Friday to check on progress on desiltation work that the BMC has undertaken as part of its pre-monsoon preparation.