Mumbai: BMC to desilt EEH, WEH drains and culverts

Mumbai: After taking control of Eastern Express and Western Express highways (EEH, WEH), the BMC will now desilt the drains and culverts on these key arterial roads. The civic body invited a tender on Thursday for the work that will be carried out throughout the year.
The BMC undertakes desilting of major and minor nullahs in the city, while the culverts below WEH and EEH were earlier cleaned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Two months ago, BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal urged the Bombay High Court to make the BMC the sole planning authority for these two arterial roads. 

Accordingly, the MMRDA handed over the control to the civic body on Nov 29. Now the BMC has to maintain a 25.23km WEH stretch starting from Mahim to Dahisar Check Naka and 18.75km EEH stretch between Sion and Mulund Check Naka.

The MMRDA and BMC have a history of locking horns over cleaning of drains, culverts to prevent waterlogging during monsoon. The BMC had questioned the MMRDA about cleaning of 31 culverts under EEH and 16 under WEH last monsoon. A civic official said that BMC’s control will facilitate desilting on time.

The civic body had also invited early tender to carry out desilting of minor drains and nullahs of the island city and eastern suburbs ahead of monsoon next year. The estimated cost of the work is around Rs46 crore. The estimated cost for desilting of WEH and EEH is around Rs15 crore and the work will be carried out till March 31, 2024.