BMC gears up to avoid 26/7

Mumbai, June 4 (UNI) July 26 is one date which Mumbaikars are unlikely to forget for a long time to come, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has geared itself up to ensure that the denizens do not have to keep a date with history.

On July 26 last year, unprecedented floods had harassed Mumbaikars and hardly anybody from the city could escape its fury, having been affected in some way or the other. The floods were blamed on the polluted Mithi River.

There will not be an encore, claims the BMC which has undertaken cleaning and desilting of drains, ''nullahs'' and the river systems.

There is a 200-km-long network of ''nullahs'' in the metropolis of which 130 kilometres have been desilted and so have 94 per cent of the drains, say BMC authorities.

The BMC, in conjunction with the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), undertook cleaning and widening of the Mithi River.

It is also proposed to clear encroachments along the Poisar River and rehabilitate them elsewhere. Steps have also been taken to ensure there is no danger from the Dahisar River.

Roads too have been repaired. Requisite rehabilitative arrangements have been made for about 560 families whose buildings were identified as dangerous while another 48 buildings considered dangerous are being reviewed.

As an alternate arrangement, all wards will be provided with standby generator sets. All mobile companys will keep generator sets to ensure uninterrupted communication and fire brigade will also acquire a number of generators.

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