40% Pre-monsoon Nullah Cleaning yet to be taken up

25th May, 2018

THANE : With barely a week left for the completion of the pre-monsoon nullah cleaning drive deadline, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) revealed that 40 per cent of the work is still remaining. The civic administration, however, claimed they were confident of achieveing the May 31 deadline, claiming that the work had begun relatively early this year, but residents and activists believe otherwise.

A few residents and slum dwellers whose tenements had been destroyed in the August rains last year fear that a flood-like situation might re-occur due to waterlogging as well as flooding of the pollutants from the nullahs into the creek.

Lakshmi Bhandari, a slum dweller residing at Nalpada in Majiwada, said, “During the heavy downpour that lashed the city last year, water had gushed into our slum settlements. We have taken all the necessary precautions from our end like storing all important documents and possession on the lofts, but we are scared that such a situation might occur again. There is a huge nullah right outside our vicinity. Although the officials are working on cleaning the nullahs, it is a slow process. Moreover, monsoon might start early. What if the cleaning work does not get done by then?”

Even activists claimed that despite inviting tenders for the nullah cleaning work by the end of April, the TMC has failed to get a grip on the pre-monsoon clean-up drive, making residents anxious for the rains to come.

Ashok Bhurpulle, deputy municipal commissioner of TMC, said, “This year, we started the nullah cleaning drive on May 6. Till now we have completed around 60 per cent of the work, which involves cleaning and desilting of 58 big nullahs in the city for which tenders were invited. Simultaneously we are also cleaning the smaller drains. We are sure that the remaining work will be done by the end of this month.”

 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com