Mumbai rains: BMC’s drain cleanup efforts backfire as silt returns

With premonsoon showers already soaking parts of Mumbai the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationrsquos BMC muchpublicised premonsoon cleaning drive has ironically become a fresh source of public frustration Across the city residents are raising a stink over unattended heaps of silt uncollected garbage excavated from drains and tree trimmings dumped along roadsides mdash all leftovers from BMCrsquos ongoing nullahcleaning exerciseWhile the annual desilting of stormwater drains is meant to prevent flooding and waterlogging the filth left along roadsides has created a different set of problems Mumbaikars complain that instead of swiftly transporting the removed silt to landfill sites contractors have left the waste on the streets for over a week and in some areas even up to 15 daysAndheriPiles of pruned tree branches are adding to the mess ldquoThe footpaths are unwalkable Tree waste and garbage are blocking the way Wersquore worried itrsquoll turn into a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoesrdquo said a resident from AndheriPiles of pruned tree branches are adding to the mess near Andheri RTOLocals fear the civic bodyrsquos sluggish followup could undo the purpose of the cleanup and pose health hazards with the monsoon approaching As complaints mount citizens are urging the BMC to act swiftly before rain activity intensifies and Mumbairsquos annual waterlogging woes begin in full forceIn Andheri West negligence was also reported near the RTO office On Wednesday afternoon cut branches and twigs from tree trimming work were still lying uncleared along the roadsideThe situation is no better along Dattaji Salvi Road mdash from the Andheri RTO signal to Veera Desai junction mdash where debris including small branches and twigs was scattered inconveniencing pedestrians and motorists alikeldquoThe silt is left to dry for two to four days before being transported to dumping grounds This is standard procedurerdquo said an official from BMCrsquos R North wardldquoResidents need not worry We will remove the dried silt and garbage from the roadsides before the heavy rains arriverdquo he assuredTilaknagarldquoI live in Tilaknagar The BMC needs to take desilting more seriously Just look at the state of Somaiya nullah mdash they should bring in someone with dredging expertise from Mumbai Port to clean it properlyrdquo said local resident P R VijayraghavanGovandildquoThe entire stretch near our locality smells foul The silt has dried up in the sun and now just lies there collecting dust and fliesrdquo said Nafees Ansari a Govandi resident ldquoIf it rains again itrsquoll just flow back into the drains and also spread onto the roads Whatrsquos the point of cleaning thenrdquoNafees Ansari points to the driedup silt lying on the roadCivic officials say the silt is supposed to be left to dry for two to three days to avoid spills during transportation However in several wards this timeline has long passed with no sign of removalRaising another concern Fayyaz Alam Shaikh also from Govandi said ldquoThe desilting waste originally removed in wet form has now completely dried Itrsquos turned into fine loose particles resembling dry soil or ash and is blending into the road surfacerdquoHe added ldquoMud and silt waste has been lying on Govandi roads for over eight days now violating BMCrsquos 48hour pickup rule and 24hour grievance redressal norms This is gross negligence Contractors should be blacklisted and officials held accountablerdquoBandra and MulundRotting tree trimmings and drying muck also continue to lie on roads in Mulund East under T Ward and parts of Bandra EastRotting tree trimmingsldquoThe muck removed from drains 15 to 20 days ago is still lying around mdash and much of it has already flowed back into the drains Whatrsquos the point of removing it only to let it return Itrsquos a waste of time resources and taxpayer moneyrdquo said Anant Darji a Mulund resident ldquoWorse itrsquos made the area filthierrdquoDrying muck on roads at various areas of Bandra EastldquoEvery year the BMC spends crores on desilting before the monsoon but itrsquos all in vain The waste is dumped right next to the drains and when it rains it flows back in Why not take it directly to the dumping groundrdquo asked Nirmal Thakkar also from MulundDrying muck in Mulund EastDahisarldquoDespite reporting the issue to BMC officials the filth remains exactly where it was dumped Is the BMC waiting for the rain to wash it all back into the drains This nullah safai has become a joke It feels like they clean the drains only to dirty the roadsrdquo said Deepshikha Sagar from N L Complex DahisarResidents are increasingly worried about health risks The stagnant waste has become a breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes raising fears of disease outbreaks with the monsoon loomingldquoThe silt and muck removed from drains should be promptly and safely transported to dumping grounds If left unattended it will flow back into the drains causing early flooding and health hazards We already saw signs of this during last weekrsquos brief showers and now more rain is expectedrdquo warned Madhu Mehta a resident of Anand Nagar Dahisar EastldquoItrsquos shocking to see mounds of silt just lying on the roadside If it rains it will slide back into open drains completely defeating the purpose of the desilting driverdquo said Jitendra Rautela another Anand Nagar resident ldquoWorse still it causes serious inconvenience to pedestrians and commutersrdquoVikhroliIn Vikhrolirsquos Kannamwar Nagar along Durga Mata Maidan Road desilting was recently carried out but silt has remained on the road for five days said resident Rajendra Kamble ldquoThe contractor removed most of the silt but not all of it Some is still lying there During the recent rains it spread further making it harder for pedestrians to walk and creating a foul smellrdquo he added The rain he said had only worsened the situation by turning the leftover silt into a wet stinking messSilt has remained on the road for five days in Kannamwar NagarA BMC official who is monitoring desilting work said ldquoI will instruct the contractor to remove the remaining silt immediately If residents observe that the contractor is not carrying out the work properly they are encouraged to register complaints either on social media or by calling the BMCrsquos 1916 helplinerdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params