Mumbaikars responsible for dirtying nullahs, blames BMC
Like every year this year too, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Storm Water Department has claimed that more then 80 per cent of the nullahs in Mumbai city have been cleaned.
However, putting the onus of the present pathetic condition of the nullahs on the citizens, the civic body says that the nullahs become dirty again because of the lack of civic sense among the Mumbaikars.
Laxman Vatkar, chief engineer of SWD stated that though after warning people not to throw garbage into the nallahs, they continue to do so.
On the contrary, councillors slammed the corporation and showed unhappiness over the work undertaken.
Prakash Gangadhare, Corporator of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) alleged that the nullahs in his ward Mulund is not at all cleaned. Plastic bottles, rags could be seen floating in the drainages. Gangadhare alleged that the contractors appointed by the BMC failed to clean the nullahs.
“They take out the waste and keep it on the border of the nullah. Until and unless the waste is not taken and dumped somewhere else the nullahs will not get cleaned completely. By blaming the citizens they are just finding ways to protect themselves,” he said.
However, Vatkar has defended by stating that before monsoon his team started the nullah cleaning work but if people do not stop throwing waste the BMC will be helpless.
Every year BMC spends crores of rupees for cleaning nullah in the city. This year too BMC has made provisions for the desilting work. The civic body has allotted Rs 60 crore for cleaing major nullahs, Rs 29.62 crore for small nullahs and Rs 31 crore for Mithi nullah cleaning work.