13 May,2026 08:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BMC has been carrying out large-scale desilting operations across Mumbai to minimise water-logging during the monsoon. File pic
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct a special two-day drive on Thursday and Friday to ensure that silt removed from rivers and nullahs is disposed of at designated sites within 48 hours.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar issued strict instructions during a review meeting held on Wednesday at the BMC headquarters. He warned that no silt should be left lying on roadsides and said engineers will face strict action if desilted material is not transported within the stipulated 48-hour timeframe.
"Any delay in transporting the silt will not be tolerated. Silt must be cleared from roadsides immediately and disposed of at the designated sites within 48 hours," Bangar said.
The meeting was convened to review desilting work in major and minor nullahs ahead of the monsoon. Chief Engineer (Storm Water Drains) Sunildatt Rasal and other senior officials were present.
Bangar directed officials to focus on water-logging prone areas and implement effective preventive measures. He instructed deputy engineers and assistant engineers to remain present at work sites daily. He also emphasised completing 100 per cent desilting work by May 31 and maintaining continuous efforts even after achieving the target.
The additional municipal commissioner stressed the need to repeatedly remove floating garbage from nullahs, especially in the last week of May and the first week of June. He asked officials to identify spots where floating waste accumulates and conduct multiple drives to clear it before the onset of rains.
Bangar also directed officials to coordinate with local corporators and legislators, share daily progress reports with them, and invite them for site inspections to ensure quality and transparency in the work.
BMC has been carrying out large-scale desilting operations across Mumbai to minimise water-logging during the monsoon. Officials have been told to ensure that nullahs and stormwater drains remain fully clean and functional.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Tuesday directed BMC officials to complete desilting of all the nullahs by May 31, as part of pre-monsoon preparations. She also directed them to deploy robotic equipment wherever necessary to ensure efficient cleaning.
Emphasising transparency and accountability, Tawde said CCTV cameras should be installed at desilting sites and local representatives must be given access to inspect the works and track progress.
"All desilting works under pre-monsoon preparations should be expedited and completed by May 31. Strict planning and implementation are required to make the drive more effective," she said.
The mayor, accompanied by Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde, inspected the ongoing desilting and road development works in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday morning. She was joined by ward committee chairpersons, corporators, and senior officials from the storm water drains, roads, and traffic departments.
During her visit to the Usha Nagar nullah in Bhandup East, Tawde reviewed the desilting work along the 1.610-km stretch, where 3,433 metric tonnes of silt has been removed till Monday. The cleaning of four box culverts beneath Central Railway tracks is being carried out using an automatic swing loader machine. She instructed officials to construct protective walls along the nullah for safety and as a long-term solution, and reiterated the need for robotic machines in difficult sections.
At the Boundary nullah near Gawhanpada Fire Brigade in Mulund East, which spans 3.860 km with widths ranging between 15 and 26 metres, 3,341 metric tonnes of silt has been cleared so far. Tawde directed officials to speed up operations to meet the May 31 deadline.
