'BMC must be called out for their absolute failure': AAP expresses 'shock and horror' after rain fury claims 25 lives in Mumbai

'BMC must be called out for their absolute failure': AAP expresses 'shock and horror' after rain fury claims 25 lives in Mumbai

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Sunday, July 18, 2021, 07:02 PM IST
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Maharashtra, July 18 (ANI): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducts the inspects during a rescue operation after a wall collapses at Chemburs Bharat Nagar area due to a landslide, in Mumbai on Sunday. | (ANI Photo)

The Mumbai unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expressed "shock and horror" on Sunday after at least 25 people died in several house collapses triggered by landslides due to heavy overnight rains in the city. The AAP slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and said the Mumbai civic body " must be called out for their absolute failure to get their act together during the monsoon season yet again". "The regular occurrence of floods, year after year, and multiple times during a single monsoon season, has become the norm of the city, rather than the exception," the party added.

In a release, the AAP said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar had a few months ago presided over an appraisal of monsoon preparedness of the BMC, and its various agencies. "The outcome of the meeting was All is well," said AAP. "The BMC further went on to the extent of claiming 104% completion of nala cleaning/SWDs pre-monsoon cleaning. The desilting, cleaning, and maintenance of the drains and nalas makes the BMC incur massive costs every year. Under the BRIMSTOWAD project, a new, sixth pumping station was also inaugurated in 2019, and those pumps and drains were supposed to be functioning under such conditions. It's the BMC's responsibility to evacuate resident Mumbaikars living in landslide and flood prone areas, as a part of its preparations for heavy rain," the party added.

The AAP further questioned the BMC and said: "What happened to all these tall plans, claims, and projects, and why does the ground reality of Mumbai continue to remain so bleak and miserable? Without even reaching the peak of the monsoons this year, Mumbai has seen floods and landslides of such severity that civilian life has been disrupted on all fronts. Moreover, with multiple reports of people falling into open manholes; dilapidated structures collapsing due to heavy rains; and now, walls collapsing and killing innocent people, it cannot be denied that the BMC has not just fallen short on its exorbitant claims of preparedness, but has also shown extreme negligence in fulfilling its responsibility to make Mumbai more flood resilient and safe for its citizens."

Meanwhile, AAP National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari Preeti Sharma Menon expressed condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. "It is evident that the BMC has no care for Mumbai’s citizens. No matter what they say, the lived reality of Mumbaikars is contrary to their tall claims. For all the PR claims and campaigns by the BMC - glorifying the swiftness of their plans and actions; one must ask why the BMC continues failing to prevent floods at every instance of heavy rainfall, and shamelessly refusing to take any accountability for the severe damages caused to life and property," she added.

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