Ahead of the monsoon, the BMC is preparing for the desilting of choked nullahs so the drainage of excess rainwater to the sea can occur without hindrance. The cost of removing silt from these nullahs is approximately Rs 2 per kg or Rs 2,000 per metric tonne. In 2024, the corporation aims to remove over 13.10 lakh tonnes of silt from major and minor nullahs as well as the Mithi river at the cost of Rs 249 crore.

Though the BMC uses the term desilting, the city’s water drains are choked with garbage—large amounts of plastic, cloth and wooden items. The corporation has appointed 31 agencies to achieve 75 per cent desilting before May 31; three for south city, 10 for the eastern suburbs, 15 for the western suburbs and three for the Mithi river. Fifteen per cent of the nullah cleaning will happen during the monsoon, and 10 per cent after the season ends.