Mumbai: As drain cleaning work picks up pace in the city, residents are increasingly noticing heaps of silt and garbage removed from drains being left on roads.
BMC says this is standard protocol—to allow the silt to dry before transportation to the dumpsites. However, locals say this leaves a stench and they fear that, in case of untimely showers, the sludge could be washed back into the drains. Bandra (W) resident Lillian Paes said that recently she noticed silt kept on the road at Andheri. “In Mumbai, unseasonal rains aren’t a rare occurrence. BMC must ask its contractors to remove the silt quickly so that it does not get wet again in case of rains,” she said. Another Bandra (W) resident said he saw piles of silt on the Bandra station road like the Bandra talao area.
In high-density areas like Dharavi, which already struggle with traffic congestion, residents say the roadside silt adds to traffic woes. “With the Sion bridge already shut, traffic has only worsened. The silt takes up road space and adds to jams. There needs to be a better system,” said former corporator Ravi Raja.
In Andheri (W), Rakesh Coelho, vice-president of BJP’s North West district, said that on Link Road he noticed silt lying by the road. “Why leave the silt on the road for the water to drain? Use a mechanism so that the silt removed from drains is already drained out,” said Coelho.
This year, annual desilting work of the city’s drains ahead of monsoons began on Mar 25. Every year before the monsoon, the civic body awards contracts for the removal of silt from drains. Desilting helps in faster water drainage during the monsoon.
