BMC has removed only 60% of silt from drains
MUMBAI: While the civic body declared on Friday that the city has been readied to face the impending monsoon, citizens and experts are sceptical about whether Mumbai will be prepared by June 7, the deadline to be rain-ready. Stormwater drain (SWD) department norms state that 4.45 lakh cubic metres of silt should be removed from drains before the monsoon. The BMC has said it has removed just 2.67 lakh cubic metres so far, or 60% of what is required. According to norms, the BMC should complete 70% of de-silting before the monsoon, 20% during the rains and 10% after the rains. On May 25, TOI had reported that the BMC had de-silted 50% of the major nullahs in the run-up to the monsoon. In addition, only 30% of the de-silting along the Mithi River's crucial 17.8km stretch had been completed. Just six days later, on Friday, the BMC announced that 73% of the city's drains and 60% of the Mithi River had been de-silted. One problem area pointed out by Mumbaikars is the Irla nullah, whi