Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 24: With the onset of monsoon drawing near, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has accelerated its pre-monsoon preparedness drive, completing 30% of the targeted silt removal from drains across the city—including key zones like Worli, Nehru Science Centre, and Dadar Dharavi.

On Tuesday, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani personally inspected ongoing desilting operations at these crucial flood-prone locations. He stressed the need for timely and systematic cleaning of both major and minor drains, adding that silt should be disposed of within 48 hours of removal to avoid re-entry and potential clogging.

This year marks a notable shift in the city’s flood mitigation strategy, with AI-powered systems introduced to monitor and enhance the desilting process—a first for Mumbai, according to civic authorities.

To foster transparency and citizen participation, the BMC has also launched a dedicated portal: https://swd.mcgm.gov.in/wms2025, allowing residents to track desilting progress through photos and videos of work carried out in their localities.

Gagrani urged citizens to avoid dumping garbage into stormwater drains, one of the key contributors to urban flooding. “Public cooperation is vital. Clean drains mean safer monsoons,” he said.

With nearly 70% of the work still pending, BMC aims to complete all desilting operations within the next six weeks, backed by active monitoring from senior officials including Chief Engineer (Rainwater Channels) Shridhar Chaudhary.

The city's administration appears determined to make 2025 a monsoon-resilient year, combining boots-on-ground efforts with smart technologies and public engagement to tackle the annual flooding challenge head-on.