BMC to inspect Mithi before 'clean up' action

The ruling Shiv Sena has decided to conduct an actual inspection of nullahs before proposals for cleaning of the Mithi river come up before the civic standing committee. 

The decision was taken after a proposal for a clean up operation of the Mithi river came up before the standing committee, and the Leader of the House demanded an actual inspection of the river and sought suspension of this proposal till then. As the NCP and the MNS supported the Sena stand, standing committee chairman Ramesh Korgaonkar took the decision to suspend this proposal, although the BJP and the Congress were against it.

The central machinery has given a contract to SNB Infrastructure Private Limited to remove silt from the Mithi river in H-East ward. The company has to take up this work from Dharavi bridge to Premnagar outfall. The company bagged this contract worth Rs 3.86 crore. A proposal in this regard was put up before the standing committee. Yashwant Jadhav, leader of the house, said that this proposal should be passed only after inspection of the river and hence demanded suspension of this proposal.

Reacting to this, BJP’s Prabhakar Shinde said that the administration has not yet submitted the inspection report of silt removal in Adwali-Bhutwali areas. Till such reports are not submitted, the proposal should not be passed, Shinde suggested.

BJP group leader Manoj Kotak raised the issue of environmental problems of villages where this silt is deposited. He demanded cancellation of this proposal raising objection over the award of this work to the blacklisted company.

MNS' Dilip Lande and Congress' Asif Zakeria raised environmental concerns. Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi Party supported the demand of the Congress corporator.

Leader of the opposition, Ravi Raja, demanded a report on the further course of action against contractor and BMC officials involved in the nullah cleaning scam. He also said that people should not be put to inconvenience during rainy reason due to the failure of nullah cleaning services.

NCP’s Rakhi Jadhav demanded immediate cleaning of Laxmibaug nullah in Ghatkopar and repairing of the security wall.
Finally, standing committee chairman sought votes in favour of suspension of this proposal which was passed on the backing of MNS and NCP members.