Mumbai: The BMC has faced intense criticism in recent years over malpractices related to desilting works. However, civic officials claim that the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) this year has significantly enhanced oversight and the ability to detect irregularities. As a result, the BMC has successfully recovered over Rs 3 crore from contractors found to be involved in fraudulent activities.
To enhance transparency and curb malpractices in drain desilting, the BMC has introduced an AI-powered dashboard for real-time, daily monitoring. The process involves removing silt from drains, loading it onto trucks, weighing the vehicles, and disposing of the silt at designated sites.
The AI dashboard streamlines and verifies the weighing process. When a truck arrives at the weighing station, the system reads its number plate, links it to the contractor, records the date and time, and uses images to confirm the presence of silt.
"We were able to detect irregularities during silt transportation, as some contractors couldn’t provide proper bills or justify their activity. Penalties have been imposed on them," said a senior civic official.
Last month, the BMC found a contractor guilty of malpractice during silt removal work from minor nullahs in Chembur. The contractor, accused of negligence and causing financial loss to the civic body by submitting fraudulent claims, has been blacklisted for a period of three years.
The BMC has mandated the recording of a minimum 30-second video and capture photographs at every stage of the desilting process. For smaller drains, it is compulsory to capture CCTV footage both before and after desilting. These recordings are analysed using AI technology to ensure proper execution and real-time supervision throughout the process.
Major Drains: Target: 3,57,430 metric tonnes (MT); Removed: 3,78,214 MT; 105%
Minor drains: Target: 3,96,262 MT; Removed: 2,86,004 MT; 72.18%
Mithi river: Target: 2,14,315 MT; Removed: 1,32,545 MT; 61.85%
