Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Tuesday, July 25, announced a high-level inquiry will be conducted into the money spent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the desilting of Mithi river which flows through the city.
The state government ordered an SIT probe into the INR 1,160 crores expenditure on the Mithi River rejuvenation project and its progress, including the extent of silt removal and discharge locations.
The announcement was made in the Legislative council on the 18th anniversary of the Mumbai deluge. However, the legislators were not convinced with the decision.
July 26, 2005 deluge (26/7), had turned the spotlight on the choking of the river through reclamation and encroachments. Therefore, the project was set up by BMC and MMRDA through Mithi River Development and Protection Authority headed by the chief minister.
The work that is underway since 2005 includes silt removal, river widening, security banks and beautification.
Though the authorities had claimed that several works related to widening, deepening and construction of retaining walls were finished, sewage and industrial waste continues to flow into the river.
However, this work has not been satisfactory so far and why this work has not been completed yet, as well as how much silt has been removed from this river and where the silt has been dumped, a full investigation will be done through a high level committee. Moreover, beautification was yet to begin, Samant added.
Exclaiming further, he stated that till now, 40% of the tendered work has been completed and work costing another INR 1,670 crore has reached tendering stage.
The detailed project report is ready and has been submitted to BMC. It will be acted on in the next 30 days. Issues on resettlement of project affected persons (PAPs) would soon be resolved.
Hitting back, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said a probe should also be conducted into the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
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