Left with no space to dump silt extracted from nullahs, the BMC has sent an SOS to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to provide land for disposal of silt.
A couple of years ago, the BMC had approached the Mumbai suburban district collector, seeking an open plot near the Madh-Aksa Island for the same. “The Aksa plot has now been exhausted. We have again demanded a neighbouring plot from the suburban collector and awaiting their reply. But with dumping space very hard to get by, we have asked the MMRDA to urgently provide land for dumping of slit,” said Laxman Vhatkar, director (engineering).
The MMRDA has informed the BMC that they would not be carrying out the desilting of Mithi River from this year. The decision was taken recently in the meeting between higher officials of both the agencies. During the meeting, we asked the MMRDA to provide land for silt disposal, he added.
Earlier, silt from across the city was being dump-ed at the Deonar and the Mulund dumping groun-ds. But with the closure of both these dumping sites, civic officials are fa-cing several problems to get place, where the nullah silt can be dumped.
The BMC’s efforts to find land in the nearby areas have not yielded results. None of the neighbouring civic bodies have responded positively to its pleas for open plots to dump silt from nullah-cleaning. “We have written letters to all neighbouring civic bodies like Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, and sought open places to throw the silt. However, not a single corporation has replied to us,” Mr Vhatkar said. This year the BMC will be floating tenders for nullah-cleaning contracts, which are given for next couple of years.