Bhiwandi: With the monsoon season approaching, questions are being raised over the progress of the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation’s (BNMC) annual drain desilting drive, despite the civic administration claiming that more than half of the work has already been completed.
Campaign Details
The drain-cleaning campaign, which commenced on May 11, is being carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 2.40 crore. According to the municipal sanitation department, nearly 51 per cent of the desilting work across the city has been completed so far. However, elected representatives and local residents have disputed these claims, alleging a significant gap between official records and the actual condition of drains on the ground.
The issue gained further attention after Mayor Narayan Choudhary conducted a surprise inspection of several desilting sites following complaints from residents and corporators. During the inspection the Mayor reportedly reprimanded concerned contractors and civic officials over the slow pace and quality of work.
Mayor’s Surprise Inspection
Despite the warning, public representatives claim that little improvement has been witnessed in the field. Expressing dissatisfaction over the progress, Mayor Choudhary said that the work appears to be progressing more on paper than on the ground.
Municipal officials have been instructed to ensure that contractors complete the desilting work within the stipulated timeframe and maintain quality standards. If waterlogging or flood-like situations arise during the monsoon due to negligence the concerned contractors will be held accountable and appropriate action will be initiated the Mayor said.
Strict Instructions
He further emphasized that maintaining city cleanliness and ensuring proper drainage before the onset of heavy rains remains one of the civic body's top priorities.
Meanwhile Standing Committee member and corporator Adv. Mayuresh Patil has also raised serious concerns regarding the reported progress figures. Questioning the authenticity of the municipal corporation’s claims, Patil asked how such a large volume of desilting work could realistically be completed within just fifteen days.
Corporator’s Concerns
The sanitation department is busy preparing percentage reports and statistics whereas the actual situation on the ground tells a different story. Before any payments are released to contractors, the municipal administration must conduct a thorough physical verification of the work Patil said.
He warned that during the rainy season, citizens would hold elected representatives accountable for flooding and waterlogging rather than contractors or officials.
Accountability Warning
Residents approach corporators when problems arise. Therefore it is the responsibility of the Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor to ensure that contractors execute the work properly and efficiently he added.
Sources within the sanitation department have also pointed towards operational challenges affecting the pace of work. According to a senior official, several drain-cleaning contracts have allegedly been awarded to relatives or associates of local political representatives through contractors.
Worker Shortage
The official further alleged that some contractors are deliberately deploying fewer workers at project sites, resulting in slower progress than expected.
Like every year, certain contractors appear to be waiting for heavy rainfall, hoping that natural water flow will clear portions of the drains on its own. This approach compromises the objective of pre-monsoon desilting and increases the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas the official claimed.
The controversy has reignited concerns regarding the transparency and effectiveness of Bhiwandi’s annual pre-monsoon preparedness measures. Citizens and public representatives have demanded greater accountability, stricter monitoring, and independent verification of the desilting work before contractors receive payments from public funds.
While the municipal corporation continues to maintain that substantial progress has been achieved, critics insist that visible conditions in several parts of the city suggest otherwise. With the monsoon expected to intensify in the coming weeks the effectiveness of the ongoing drain-cleaning exercise is likely to remain under close public and political scrutiny.
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