False clean nullah claim in Mumbai? Prove BMC wrong on app

Want to dispute the civic body’s claim of having cleaned a nullah in your area? You can soon do that on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) mobile application named ‘MCGM 24*7’.

In a first-of-its-kind attempt, the civic body has created an interactive module exclusively for stormwater drains department on the app, where photos of desilting work of nullah and cleaned drains will be uploaded before the monsoon.

It will also have a feedback option for each photo, where citizens can upload photos disputing the claim or give suggestions on how the work can be done better. The module will go live next week.

Currently, citizens can send complaints on the application with photos for a wide variety of monsoon and non-monsoon related problems, such as waterlogging, choked drains, potholes, bad patches, water supply and solid waste management.

A senior civic officer working on the project said, “The app is interactive at present. The new module is exclusive for stormwater drains department, and will come in handy during the monsoon. This will be the first time the BMC will upload proof of its work on the application. We will also take suggestions and feedback from citizens.”

Monsoon preparedness is one of the prime areas of focus for civic chief Praveen Pardeshi, who took charge recently. Last month, he took stringent decisions, including appointing clean-up marshals to fine hutments lining nullahs for littering and snapping power supply of violators, to keep the nullahs clean.

In an interaction with the media after he took charge, Pardeshi had said, “We want more citizens to participate and share their monsoon experiences. This knowledge will help us prepare better for the monsoon.”

VH Khandkar, chief engineer of the storm water drains department, said, “We have been working on making monsoon preparedness more transparent. This is why we take photos of the work done by juxtaposing the day’s newspaper in the photo as a date stamp.”

The idea is welcomed by citizens and experts.

Nikhil Desai from AGNI foundation, a city-based organisation working for good governance, said, “So far, the BMC has not shared any updates with citizens. If this works, it will be the first time citizens will get to see the work being done, as long as the BMC uploads photos of all nullahs, and does not pick only the cleanest ones.”

First Published: Jun 06, 2019 02:40 IST