The civic standing committee on Tuesday opposed a proposal to cover five city nullahs for want of a policy. The administration will now have to come up with a policy before the proposal is put up before the committee again.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had covered two city nullahs using polycarbonate sheets on a trial basis to prevent people from throwing trash inside. The trash tends to get stuck in the gates of pumping stations, preventing water from being pumped inside. The BMC had also undertaken several measures such as stationing clean-up marshals near major nullahs and putting up signs prohibiting people from throwing trash.
In Tuesday’s standing committee meeting, a proposal to cover three nullahs in Dahisar and two in Borivali came up for discussion. The ₹85-lakh proposal looked at covering these nullahs using polycarbonate sheets.
BJP leader Manoj Kotak asked if the proposal was once again a trial one, or whether there was a policy for it. “We have demanded multiple times in the past that all nullahs be covered. On such occasions, we were told there is no such policy… So is this being done to benefit a contractor?” Mr. Kotak asked.
He was joined by corporators across parties in opposing the proposal.
Additional Municipal Commissioner I.A. Kundan then retracted the proposal and assured the committee the BMC will come out with a policy in this regard.
