Silt on roads raises a stench

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claims to have carried out desilting works across the city, but piles of silt that are lying on the banks of several nullahs across the city — especially minor drains and trenches — are proving to be an eyesore. With the rains expected to arrive barely within a week’s time, the civic body failure to move the silt might inconvenience citizens greatly.

Civic activists have expressed fear that silt lying alongside nullahs is raising a stink in their areas and is likely to cause hygiene and health-related problems. In addition to this, several roads have been dug up by the utilities, which have left the debris at the same spots, they said.

Many areas in the city such as Sion, Pratiksha Nagar, Matunga, Mahim, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Goregaon, Malad and Kandivali are worst affected with the silt removed from nullahs lying in visible piles. While the situation at major nullahs is somewhat better, minor nullahs, box drains and roadside drains are yet to see their silt being lifted by civic contractor.

Civic activist Nikhil Desai from Matunga said, “I can see silt lying outside minor nullahs at several places in the F-North ward for the last 15 days. The thought of the coming rains gives me the jitters… How much inconvenience all tax-paying citizens will have to suffer during the monsoon!”

According to him, debris has not been removed from trenches at several places such as Ambedkar Road, Murubai Mandir Road, Jame Jamshed Road, Tulpule Chowk and Lotlikar Marg. In addition to this, silt from minor drains at Hindu Colony, Dadar TT and Phadke Chowk are yet to be removed.

Local resident Hemant Mantri from Kandivali said, “With the silt lying alongside drains, it has become difficult to move around the area. There is a foul odour in the air that could be a harbinger of disease.” Civic officials have blamed the mess on contractors, who they say have been late in transporting the silt removed from minor drains. “Despite issuing tenders several times, we failed to get a response from the contractors. We appointed a contractor to transport silt to the dump site barely 15 days ago, hence the work has been delayed,” said Laxman Vhatkar, director (engineering and services).

“However, we have asked the contractor to work in three shifts to lift the silt from these sites. We have even deployed vehicles used for major nullah desilting for this task. Within a week, all the silt will be removed completely,” he claimed.