BMC PROPOSES LAYING OF NEW SEWER LINES TO STOP WASTE FROM FLOWING INTO MITHI RIVER

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the new fiscal year budget of 2018-19 has proposed to lay new sewer lines in the vicinity of the Mithi River under the Mithi River water quality improvement programme. It has proposed to lay total 11.35 kilometres (kms) for which a provision of Rs. 119.88 crore is been made.

The new sewer lines will intercept Dry Weather Flow (DWF) entering into the river and divert the same into Municipal sewer lines, for which 2.08 km between Marwa road and Sakinaka pumping station along the Mithi river has been planned and 1.53 kms already been laid. In addition, the DWF entering into Mithi river from kapadiya nagar, kismat nagar area of Kurla will be diverted similarly.

Meanwhile, the BMC is also undertaking the Mithi River beautification project. According to civic data it has successfully removed 85 peer cent of encroachments. Also, 14 kms of the retaining wall construction has been completed, deepening and widening completed upto 95 per cent. In addition, the carrying capacity of the river has been increased by three times. Hence, the BMC has claimed as it achieved to carry substantial progress in the river work since 2005, the Mithi river did not overflow during monsoons.

While the civic corporation annual budget has also mentioned that it has prepared plans for beautification and managing the sewage problems of the river. The work has been divided into three phases. The first phase includes beautification of the river bank and sewage collection treatment work will be done starting from Vihar lake to WSP compound at Powai. The tenders have been called and the work is planned to begin. While the other two phases work are being examined by the supreme court (SC) appointed committee and once the study is over, the work will start. The provision of these work is Rs 15 crore.

The BMC has also proposed budget provision of Rs 25 lakh for other river rejuvenation which includes Dahisar, Poisar and Oshiwara rivers. While to deal with flooding the civic corporation has decided to deal with 55 flooding spots out of 146 identified spots. It will cost Rs 53.71 lakh