BJP demands audit of nullah clean-up work in Mumbai

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In an indirect salvo at the ally Shiv Sena, which rules in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), BJP today demanded an "audit" of pre-monsoon de-silting of nullahs (water channels) in the city.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, city BJP chief Ashish Shelar said to ensure "transparency", daily report of the quantum of silt removed should be published through Twitter, etc, till June 10.
"The information should also contain contact numbers of contractors and site engineers," he said.
The government should order an audit of the de-silting work by the IIT Bombay, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Army Corps of Engineers, he said.

"Mumbai BJP is not satisfied with the de-silting work being carried out by the MCGM. People are worried that the city may once again experience severe flooding due to this shoddy job," he said.
Nullah clean-up operation should be monitored through CCTV and there should be a "transparent" inspection of weighing of the silt removed and its transportation (to check overcharging by contractors), he said.

The responsibility of overseeing the work should be given to an additional municipal commissioner, he said.
Government can set up a corporation on the lines of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to carry out nullah clean-up in future so as to prevent corruption, he said.

Shelar's comments drew a sharp response from Shiv Sena. Anil Parab, a senior Sena leader, said, "If Mumbai floods, the chief minister and the municipal commissioner should be held responsible first and then Shiv Sena.
"Shelar is not a certifying agency," Parab said, adding that perhaps he was speaking at the behest of some disgruntled contractors.
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who inspected de-silting work at various places yesterday, had said, "A nullah can never be cleaned completely. It is done before and after the monsoon....This is a continuous process.