08-05-2025
Barely 10% nullah desilting work completed in 35 days: Shelar
With monsoon season set to set in early June, desilting nullahs across Mumbai remains a big challenge as the work has been moving at a snail's pace. Mumbai suburbs guardian minister Ashish Shelar ,who inspected the work on Thursday, said barely ten per cent work has been done in the past 35 days.
'In the past 35 days, barely 10 per cent of the cleaning work has been completed in some areas, while progress in others hovers around 20–30 per cent. The overall situation is deeply unsatisfactory,' Shelar told the media while expressing dissatisfaction over the slow progress.
Shelar conducted a thorough inspection of nullah desilting operations in Mumbai's western suburbs, beginning at Gazdar Bandh in Santacruz West. Former corporators Prabhakar Shinde, Bhalchandra Shirsat, Vinod Mishra, Alka Kerkar, Swapna Mhatre and Hetal Gala along with local BJP office-bearers and concerned civic officials were present for the inspection.
The inspection continued across multiple critical sites, including SNDT, Irla, Mogra and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar nullahs. Local BJP leaders and former corporators of respective areas and officials were present to assess the ground realities with the minister.
During the inspection, officials asserted that video recordings and photogaphs of the desilting process were being taken. However, Shelar pointed out that officials failed to present any footage documenting the removal of silt, the filled dumpers, or the unloading process, casting serious doubts on the authenticity of the claimed video documentation.
Officials from the Storm Water Drain Department were unable to provide satisfactory explanations on how technology was being utilised in the work. The mobile app they claimed to be updating was either non-functional or outdated, further deepening concerns and confirming the widespread impression that the ongoing work was unreliable and lacked transparency.
Speaking to media persons, Shelar said, 'At Gazdar Bandh, we discovered that in over 35 days, less than 10% of the work has been completed — this is deeply troubling. We will be closely monitoring the administration's plans to finish the remaining work within just one month. While some areas report 20%–30% progress, and others claim 50%, it is evident that the overall work is unreliable and lacks credibility.'
He added, 'Mere criticism won't suffice. We will insist that the Commissioner personally visit the sites and conduct inspections. All necessary systems must be put in place to ensure this work is completed on time, so that Mumbaikars do not face unnecessary hardships during the monsoon. Contractors must be held accountable, there should be no shielding. Serious questions remain unanswered – how are the nullahs' length, width, height and depth measured during desilting? Where and how is this measured? What are the standards followed? Also, if modern technology and AI are being used, what kind of machinery and technology is being deployed?
'Since contractors have not been able to provide any of these details, we will raise these serious concerns with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner,' added Shelar.
