Mumbai's Mithi river lies choked ahead of monsoon; BMC misses cleaning deadline

Wednesday marked the deadline set by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for desilting and clean-up work along the Mithi river. However, large sections of the river remained choked with vegetation, floating waste and accumulated silt, raising concerns over Mumbai’s flood preparedness just days before the peak monsoon period.

India Today’s ground visits to multiple stretches of the river revealed incomplete work, absence of labourers and machinery, and visible obstructions to water flow, even though the clean-up contract was awarded to a private firm, Prashant Lad and Tulja Bhavani Constructions, in April with a completion deadline of June 10.

Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi, who accompanied the inspection at one of the stretches, alleged that labourers and machinery were absent from several critical locations despite civic claims that nearly 80 per cent of the work had been completed.

KURLA STRETCH REMAINS CLOGGED

The first inspection point was near Kalpana Theatre on LBS Road in Kurla West, a key outfall point of the Mithi river. The site presented a grim picture.

Dense aquatic vegetation and riparian growth had spread across large portions of the river channel, appearing to obstruct the natural flow of water. Plastics, household waste and construction debris remained trapped between the vegetation and along the banks.

No active desilting work, labour force, excavators or BMC personnel were visible at the site during the visit.

"This is basic work. The floating vegetation and aquatic plants have to be removed because they obstruct the flow of water. If machines had entered this stretch even once, these plants would have been disturbed. But nothing here suggests any machinery has operated recently," Azmi said during the inspection.

Pointing towards floating debris trapped near the outfall, Azmi questioned the civic body’s claims of progress.

"Today is June 10, the deadline day. If even basic cleaning had happened, we would have seen signs of activity. There is absolutely no indication that machines or labourers have worked here," he said.

The Kurla stretch is considered highly vulnerable during heavy rainfall. Residents still recall the devastating 2005 Mumbai floods, when large parts of the locality remained submerged.

Azmi alleged that despite thousands of crores being spent over the years on desilting and retaining wall projects along the Mithi river, the ground situation remained largely unchanged.

During the visit, Azmi also held a phone conversation with a contractor’s representative, questioning the absence of workers and machinery at key locations. According to him, the representative cited labour shortages and logistical difficulties, while assuring that workers would be deployed.

BKC STRETCH SHOWS PARTIAL WORK

The second inspection was conducted near the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) opening of the Mithi river.

Here too, signs of incomplete work were evident. Portions of the retaining wall appeared eroded and structurally weak. While some silt had been removed and dumped beside the riverbank, exposed mudflats and regrown vegetation indicated that the cleaning process remained unfinished.

On the opposite Kurla-facing bank, patches of cleared areas alternated with untouched stretches still covered in vegetation and debris.

The narrowing width of the river channel at several points also raised concerns regarding water flow during intense rainfall.

"When the river narrows and vegetation blocks the channel, the water flow gets obstructed. During heavy rain, this becomes a serious flood risk," Azmi said.

At multiple locations, old heaps of silt and sludge removed during previous desilting drives were still lying beside the river.

"If this mud remains on the banks, it eventually washes back into the river during rain. Then what is the purpose of desilting?" he asked.

No active work, labourers or BMC staff were visible at the BKC stretch during the inspection.

CONTRACTORS AND OVERSIGHT UNDER SCRUTINY

According to BMC estimates, nearly 1.32 lakh metric tonnes of silt were to be removed from the Mithi river this year under a three-phase desilting project valued at around Rs 30 crore.

Civic officials had reportedly informed the administration that close to 80 per cent of the work had been completed. However, the ground situation at the inspected stretches appeared to contradict those claims.

The procurement process for the project had itself faced delays, with contractors being finalised only in April after certain tender conditions were relaxed to attract bidders.

Given the history of controversies and alleged irregularities surrounding Mithi river cleaning contracts, the lack of visible monitoring has once again raised questions over civic oversight and execution.

CRITICAL FLOOD MITIGATION CHANNEL

Stretching roughly 22 km, the Mithi river functions as Mumbai’s largest stormwater drainage channel and remains central to the city’s flood mitigation infrastructure.

Following the catastrophic 2005 floods, annual desilting and river-cleaning operations became a key pre-monsoon exercise for the civic body.

However, with the June 10 deadline now over and several stretches still appearing partially untouched, concerns are mounting over whether Mumbai’s flood-control infrastructure is adequately prepared for the monsoon.

At multiple locations visited during the inspection, no active work was visible despite the imminent arrival of heavy rainfall.