Mumbai: To enforce strict accountability and transparency in the desilting of rivers and drains, Deputy and Assistant Engineers must remain on-site full-time without exception. Work shall follow rigorous drain-wise and day-wise planning, with mandatory daily updates in the system, warned Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar on Wednesday. Installation of mesh barriers at key points to prevent floating solid waste—especially plastic—has been made compulsory; non-compliance will not be tolerated, he added.
As part of pre-monsoon works, desilting of rivers and major and minor drains across Mumbai is underway. Bangar inspected ongoing river and drain-cleaning operations in the western suburbs on Wednesday. He conducted on-site visits to Walbhat River in Goregaon (East) near the Western Express Highway, Oshiwara River near the Goregaon (West) Metro station, the SNDT drain near Gazdharbandh pumping station, and the North Avenue drain in Santacruz (West).
Desilting of Walbhat river.....
Bangar began his inspection at the Walbhat River in Goregaon (East), which originates from Sanjay Gandhi National Park and flows about 5 km through Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari and Gokuldham before meeting the Bimbisar nullah. Noting heavy silt inflow from the national park during monsoon, he reviewed ongoing desilting works and directed that excavated silt be disposed of within the stipulated time and prevented from re-entering the river. Bangar also instructed that ramps for deploying heavy machinery be constructed under the supervision of Storm Water Drains (SWD) and ward engineers, who must remain present on-site. To avoid public misunderstanding, he further directed that clear signage be displayed at ramp sites explaining the purpose of the work.
Waterlogging at Oberoi Mall.....
He also reviewed the recurring waterlogging near Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (East), caused by obstruction in the Piramal nullah originating from Dindoshi.
Bangar stressed the need for a permanent solution, directing the SWD Department to overcome constraints posed by traffic on the Western Express Highway. He ordered thorough desilting and cleaning of culverts with mandatory video documentation, and instructed steps to enhance flow capacity. Noting that two 5 m x 2.5 m culverts beneath the Oberoi Mall junction have lost capacity due to utility lines and heavy siltation, he directed removal of all debris and careful, possibly mechanised cleaning, ensuring no public inconvenience.
Augmentation of storm water drain.....
Bangar called for augmentation of the SWD near the SRPF compound service road in P South ward, where drainage is sluggish. He instructed immediate pumping arrangements for monsoon relief, along with preparation and approval of estimates, tendering during the monsoon, and execution post-monsoon. At Oshiwara River near Goregaon (West) Metro station, he noted that a permanent ramp has been successfully provided for deploying machinery, calling it a good practice model. Bangar reviewed ongoing works at Oshiwara River, Mogra Nullah, and Irla Nullah, where pumping stations are being constructed.
During inspection of the SNDT nullah at Bandra (West), Bangar noted that multiple drains—including Shastri Nagar, Relief Road, PNT, Raheja Plot, North Avenue, South Avenue, and Main Avenue—feed into it, causing earlier flooding in the Link Road and SV Road (J.K. Mehta Road) stretch. He observed that box drains at Link Road and drainage upgrades at J.K. Mehta Road have resolved waterlogging, while 3-metre-high mesh barriers at Main Avenue have significantly reduced solid waste inflow. He directed thorough cleaning of culverts 24 and 25 near the railway colony stretch of SV Road and instructed coordination with Metro authorities to ensure timely completion of works in active construction zones.
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