Mumbai: The BMC has appointed two new contractors to complete the desilting of the Mithi River after missing the deadline twice. The project had faced significant delays due to an ongoing police investigation into alleged irregularities in the previous contracts.
The 18-kilometre-long Mithi River, Mumbai’s most crucial stormwater drain, plays a key role in reducing urban flooding. As part of the city’s pre-monsoon disaster preparedness, desilting began in April.
Following the devastating 2005 floods, regular maintenance of the river has become central to the BMC’s flood mitigation strategy. The current desilting project is planned in three phases, with an estimated cost of Rs. 100 crore between 2025 and 2027.
However, the Mithi River desilting project faced significant delays due to a police probe into a contractor scam and the blacklisting of another firm for malpractice. The heavy rainfall on May 26 further hampered progress, as machinery was unable to access water bodies for several days.
As a result, the BMC extended the desilting deadline to June 7. To expedite completion within the next 15 days, the BMC has now appointed two new contractors.
Of the 2.14 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of silt targeted for removal from the Mithi River, 1.36 lakh MT has been cleared so far. Overall, the BMC has removed 8.24 lakh MT out of a total target of 9.69 lakh MT. Desilting in the island city and eastern and western suburbs is 100% complete. For minor drains, 75.97% of the work has been completed, with 3.01 lakh MT removed out of a target of 3.96 lakh MT.
