The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice asking the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) to warn its contractor J Kumar -CRTG (Joint Venture) for illegally dewatering the slurry of the ongoing Sahar Airport metro station work in the adjacent major nullah at P & T colony. MMRCL is the nodal agency carrying out the underground Metro -3 construction work.
The notice of BMC, a copy of which is also with the Free Press Journal, reads, "During the site inspection it is observed that the contractor is illegally dewatering slurry directly in P& T major nullah along Sahar road. This has led to the accumulation of a large quantity of silt in the nullah. This is a very serious concern and had happened in past also and was informed via letter to this office on February 8. Also, you have not obtained permission for dewatering. Various complaints regarding the same have been received."
In its notice, the BMC has further instructed the MMRCL to direct its contractor to carry out the nullah cleaning work and keep it clean throughout. If not done action should be initiated against the contractor by the metro authority.
Meanwhile, the local activist Godfrey Pimenta who raised the issued by providing photographic evidence to the BMC and MMRCL commented, "Despite our repeated complaints the contractor of MMRCL continued to discharge illegal slurry water. However, we continued our objections and therefore BMC was forced to issue a notice to MMRCL. The nullah in which slurry water is discharged meets the Mithi River. On one end the state environment minister Aditya Thackeray makes a statement that they want to clean the entire Mithi River but on the other end the contractor appointed by state governed agency MMRCL is polluting the Mithi River illegally."
The MMRCL spokesperson in response to the issue commented, "It has come to our notice and the contractor has been instructed to clean up the drain."