After a delay this year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has geared up to begin the pre-monsoon desilting and cleaning of stormwater drains. The Mumbai civic body is all set to award the contract for the desilting work.
According to sources, the contracts will be awarded to contractors who submit tenders at a reduced rate of 3.33 per cent to 12.33 per cent. The proposals received are still awaiting a round of approvals. Once approved they will be tabled before the standing committee, following which a work order will be issued.
The entire nullah cleaning and desilting work in eastern suburbs will cost Rs 17 crore.
The desilting and cleaning of stormwater drains (nullahs) are carried out as part of the pre-monsoon preparations. The sludge /silt is removed and disposed of. This desilting and cleaning is done to prevent water retention in low lying areas and is undertaken in three phases every year. In the first phase, 80 per cent desilting and cleaning are carried out between March 1 and May 31, in the second phase 10 per cent work is carried out between June 1 and September 30, and in the third and final phase remaining 10 per cent work is done between October 1 and February 28. This year, the cleaning work in the eastern suburbs could not start on March 1.
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The work will be delayed as the tender process has still not completed. Even the contractors are appointed this month, the approval will take time.
The administration had begun the tender process for the cleaning of small nullas in Mulund, Chembur East and West, and Ghatkopar. According to sources three of the four contracts will be awarded to one Prashant Hebrekar Company.
Mumbai city has roadside surface drains of about 2,000 km. The underground and lateral drains measure 440 km.
Every year, just before monsoon, BMC spends crores on nullah cleaning. However, at the time of heavy rainfall, the city often witnessed waterlogging. To curb flooding in the city, BMC corporators have been demanding that nullahs be cleaned throughout the year and not only ahead of monsoon.
