Mumbai Congress slams BMC administration, Maha govt over 'inadequate' monsoon preparedness

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday said all claims of the city civic administration and the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on monsoon preparedness have turned ”false”.

Rains have just begun and the ”inadequate” monsoon preparedness is for everyone to see, Gaikwad told reporters here.

The civic administration spends crores of rupees on repairs of potholes and drains and the government claimed there will be no water-logging this year, she said.

Gaikwad said water-logging has been witnessed in many low-lying areas and the busy Andheri subway in Mumbai had to be closed (on Wednesday).

”Honest tax payers suffer due to the corrupt and inefficient civic administration. All claims of the Mumbai civic administration and the Shinde government on monsoon preparedness have turned false,” she alleged.

Gaikwad demanded that the officials concerned be held accountable and punished.

She said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had assured of action against officials who fail in their duty. ”Will he act?” the Congress leader asked.

The southwest monsoon covered Mumbai on Sunday after a delay of two weeks.

With the level of lakes supplying water to Mumbai going down due to inadequate rainfall in their catchment areas, the city civic body has decided to impose a 10 per cent water cut here starting from Saturday, officials earlier said.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal has also appealed to citizens to save water and use it judiciously.