Sena, BJP clash over desilting of Mumbai drains

MUMBAI: As another monsoon draws near, partners-turned-bitter-rivals Shiv Sena and BJP entered their annual mud-slinging challenge over desilting of drains in the city.
With the scent of civic polls in the air, both parties deployed heavyweights on Thursday to meet the BMC commissioner. Sena cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray was the first to show up. He said the BMC has completed 78% of culvert-cleaning but debris are still floating because someone or the other is throwing garbage in every day.
BJP’s Ashish Shelar came armed with a book of photos taken by former party corporators of several nullahs still choked with garbage. He said only 35% works had been done.
Congress joins BJP to slam pre-monsoon work
In the run-up to their meeting with BMC chief Iqbal Chahal, both Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray and BJP’s Ashish Shelar had been seen visiting various sites of premonsoon works over the past few days.
BJP compiled photos of clogged nullahs and turned it into a book that Shelar presented to the civic chief. He said the desilting work completion percentages being circulated by the BMC were fictitious. “We feel not more than 35% of desilting works have been done. It seems there is no plan on how all these nullahs will be cleaned before the arrival of monsoons. ”
Shelar added that no planning appears to have been made on tree pruning, dilapidated buildings and prevention of landslides.
BJP’s Vinod Mishra said in case of any untoward incident taking place this year, the responsibility will be with the ruling party till recently that has been making tall claims about pre-monsoon works being satisfactory.
In an interesting turn, Congress, though a Sena partner in the state government, also claimed desilting works have not been satisfactory. “This year also, Mumbai is sure to drown. Even the BMC commissioner, being the administrator, cannot assure the city will remain afloat during monsoons this year,” said Congress leader Ravi Raja, a former corporator.