System to prevent flooding functions well, says CM as Opposition hits out

Hitting out at Shinde’s comments, Shiv Sena UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, “If shamelessness, incompetence and corruption had a face… It is disgraceful for him (Shinde) to rebuke Mumbaikars for complaining about water-logging and collapse of civic machinery… All his false promises, photo ops in Mumbai hold zero value.”

Aaditya also sought to know the whereabouts of BMC administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal at a time when the city is flooded and said that there is an absolute vacuum of political and administrative leadership to hear the woes of people of Mumbai.

“Where is the BMC Municipal Commissioner/Administrator right now? Have not seen or heard about him in the past two days. Every year during such days of Monsoon the BMC commissioner is seen on roads to control the situation. But where is he now? Missing,” Aaditya said adding that this happens when the government is run by “traitors” who just want to loot Mumbai.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad also slammed the civic administration and the Shinde-led state government saying that all claims of monsoon preparedness fell flat in the first rains itself.

Milan subway, Hind Mata and a couple of other locations in Mumbai are prone to water-logging during rains every year.

The BMC has constructed underground water tanks in these areas to prevent flooding, Shinde said that the system is working well despite excessive rain,and that Milan Subway is still open for vehicular traffic.

“Around 70 mm of rainfall was reported in the city in just one-hour. Still the system is functioning. I have ordered BMC officials to take measures required to avoid water logging and ensure that there is no disturbance to vehicular traffic,” Shinde said.