BMC removes 4,00,850 cubic meter silt from Mithi river

Mumbai, May 22 (UNI) Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today said that it had removed four lakh and 850 cubic meter silt from Mithi river.

In a release issued here, the civic body stated that it had been entrusted with the responsibility of widening the Mithi river from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) road, Kurla upto Powai, about 11.8 km in length.

The work was inaugurated by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on March eight.

The total estimated quantity to be removed is 5,57,500 cubic meter.The total stretch was divided into eight groups and eight contractors were appointed to carry out the work. Out of the 11.8 km, there were encroachment problems in the length of about two km at locations such as CST road to Kalina road, Kranti Nagar, Jarimari, Saphed pool, KBM compound, Morarji Nagar and Filter Pada.

The group number one stretching from CST road to Kalina culvert was entirely encroached upon by the commercial structures.

No stretch was available to carry out the work in this group.

Hence, out of 1,11,000 cubic meters of estimated quantity, only 22,000 cubic meter quantity was transported from this stretch. Only widening of a small available stretch on the West Bank was carried out along with the deepening of the existing river.

The work in group-I was nearly stopped from April 27 due to non-availability of stretch for working. The structures on the both sides on the bank were demolished on May 15 and 16. Now, all efforts will be made to clear the backlog and wider the stretch in group number one.

In order to clean up the Mithi river, 3,600 structures were demolished (2,652 residential and 1,148 commercial), out of which 1,769 residential and 349 commercial structures were eligible for alternate accomodation.

Barring group number one, BMC has removed 3,75,250 cubic meter of quantity out of 4,46,000 cubic meter of estimated quantity in group two to eight till May 19. The total quantity removed from group one to eight is 4,00,850 cubic meter out of 5,57,500 cubic meter, the release added.

UNI MR GK SHR RS1939