Recently, another woman officer, Suprada Marathe, was appointed as deputy municipal commissioner of the environment department. (File)

For the first time in its 132-year old history, a woman on Wednesday took over as the head of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) of engineering services and projects department.

Archana Achrekar has been working with BMC for over 20 years. The post is crucial with key engineering departments like roads and bridges, solid waste management, storm water drain and city engineer reporting to the director.

Achrekar had been the chief engineer of BMC’s city engineer department. She was earlier posted in departments likes roads and building construction.

BMC officials said that since 1888, the year it was founded, no women engineer had been appointed as director in BMC. The post comes third in hierarchy in municipal administration after the commissioner and the additional municipal commissioner.

Recently, another woman officer, Suprada Marathe, was appointed as deputy municipal commissioner of the environment department. She was also the first women engineer to have bagged the position. Despite repeated attempts, Achrekar could not be reached for a comment.