Desilting of drains in Western suburbs almost complete: BMC

Mumbai, June 19 (UNI) Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC),the civic 'watchdog' of the city has claimed to have completed substantial portion of its cleaning and desilting operations of 'nullahs' and drainages in the Western suburbs.

Undertaking a whirlwind inspection of the suburbs, where the Corporation's cleaning operations are under progress, BMC, Chairman of Standing Committe Ravindra Vaikar said, ''Only a sustained awareness campaign alongwith introduction of heavy penalty would forbid slum dwellers from throwing their waste into 'nullahs' and drainages.'' He added in due course, conctruction of boundary walls around 'nullahs' would be undertaken to prevent leakages and collapse of walls. At present, majority of the walls around nullahs are made up of stones.

Mr Chirag Jain of Chirag Constructions, undertaking major cleaning operations of nullahs in and round Gajdar bandh slums said, ''Slum dwellers obstruct to our cleaning operations in the night, in the past they have even assaulted some of our labourers. As a result, sometimes we have to work under police protection.'' Meanwhile Irla Nullah, flowing besides the Pawan Hans, flight training academy at Vile Parle in suburban Mumbai has been successfully cleaned and is free from silt.

BMC, for the third time this year is undertaking cleaning and desilting operations in Nehru nullah passing through Nehru Nagar slums at Vile Parle in suburban Mumbai.

Shiv Sena Corporator Shailesh Phanse said even after continous reminders, BMC has not yet undertaken a complete cent per cent cleaning and desilting operation in Mogra Nullah flowing beneath Link Road at Andheri in Suburban Mumbai.

Expressing dissapointment over BMC's work in Mogra nullah flowing beneath S V Road at Andheri, and the Shiv Sena corporator Pandurang Soma Amre said, ''BMC undertook partial cleaning work in the nullah leaving badly constructed boundary walls.'' UNI GVS KU PA DB2338