Hunger strike against delay in implementation of stormwater report
As many as 200 volunteers of a city-based NGO, Lokadhikar, will take out a rally as its president Rafat Hussain will go on a hunger strike in protest against the delay in the implementation of BMC’s BRIMSTOWAD report. According to the NGO, the delay causes flooding of the Milan Subway in Santacruz every monsoon.
Anil Nayar, head of the Mumbai region of the NGO, said the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System(BRIMSTOWAD) report had recommended that the nullah flowing close to the low-lying Milan subway should be widened to 10 metres to avoid flooding. The report was sumbitted in 1993.
“Even after so many years, the nullah is only 3.5 metre wide and encroachments — around 16 shops— have come up over the nullah. The collector should take the reposnsibility to evict them so that the civic body can carry out nullah widening project and cleaning of the river Mithi before the onset of monsoon this year,” said Nayar.
The Milan Subway that connects areas of Santacruz east and west is a low lying area. It perennially gets flooded during monsoon and causes incovenience to citizens.