The Solid Waste Management Department of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) initiated action against contractors for negligence in carrying out pre-monsoon work. The civic body imposed a monetary penalty and collected Rs 3 lakh from 43 contractors for laxity in work.
As part of monsoon preparedness, the SWM department annually carries out desilting of sewers in the city among others; and the work was assigned to 96 contractors. As of May 15, over 90% work had been carried out successfully.
Contractors' responsibility
The contractors have to ensure that the drains are clean enough to facilitate flow of rainwater. The work involved cleaning of nearly 5 lakh meters of gutters in the city.
The civic agency had instructed them to remove dry sludge (soil) from the drains within 24 hours and the wet sludge as soon as it dries. They had warned of strict action against those exhibiting laxity.
Laxity despite warning
Despite the warning, the civic body received complaints about the contractors behaving negligently.
"Penal action has been taken against 43 contractors who failed to mark the gutter covers with yellow colour, neglected to provide safety equipment to cleaning workers, delayed the removal of sludge from the sewers, and inadequately cleaned the gutters where the cleaning work had been completed," said a senior civic official.
