Mithi river protection body held no meetings in 9 years

Mumbai: The Mithi River Development and Protection Authority has not chaired a single meeting in the last nine years to discuss the deplorable condition of Mithi River, activists alleged on the basis of the documents they have accessed. The documents reveal the minutes of only six meetings that have taken place between 2005 and 2010 since the inception of the Mithi River authority.

NGO Watchdog Foundation that has the documents claimed that recommendations by Central Water and Power Research Station in 2006 have not been implemented yet to prevent flood-like situation from the river during monsoon. The two key recommendations we-re widening and deepening of the river to enhance proper flow and unclogging of the river.

“Instead of these recommendations, the MMRDA and BMC has spent more than Rs 1200 crore on Mithi’s restoration yet the river is still plagued with garbage and sewage,” said Godfrey Pimenta, Trustee of Watchdog Foundation. It was also asserted that a committee report headed by Dr Madhavrao Chitale after the 2005 deluge suggested retaining ponds near the city’s rivers. As part of the Mithi river beautification and resto-ration, MMRDA had been working on creating a retaining wall to prevent flooding across river stre-tches. “The work was halted after the SC’s observations against the wall. We are coordinating wi-th the BMC,” an official said.