Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 17: As the monsoon season nears, Mumbai faces a looming threat of widespread waterlogging due to alarming delays in pre-monsoon drain cleaning operations. According to a report by Lokmat, despite Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Nagrani’s directive to complete 80 per cent of the drain cleaning by May 31, only a meagre 12 per cent of the work has been completed so far.

The ambitious drain-cleaning plan—divided into three phases with 80 per cent to be completed before the rains, 10 per cent during, and the remaining 10 per cent post-monsoon—is now facing a time crunch. With only a short window left, concerns are growing about the city's readiness to face heavy downpours.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had allotted a budget of ?395 crore and entrusted 23 contractors with the task of cleaning major drains, including those along the Mithi River and other key riverbeds. However, despite issuing strict guidelines and deploying municipal engineers for on-site supervision, progress has been sluggish.

To maintain transparency, contractors are mandated to submit photographic and video evidence of the drain-cleaning process before and after completion. Yet, this has done little to speed up the work, raising serious concerns about contractor accountability and operational efficiency.

Officials from the Rainwater Drainage Department have intensified inspections, while mobile pumps have been stationed at flood-prone spots to handle any emergency arising from pump failures. The Municipal Commissioner has issued a stern warning that any contractor found responsible for faulty or non-functional pumps during waterlogging incidents will face strict punitive action.

With the first monsoon showers expected soon, the delay in cleaning over two-thirds of the city’s drainage system has once again put Mumbai’s flood-preparedness under scrutiny.