Dange satisfied with Mithi progress

Chief Secretary J P Dange reviewed the progress of desilting,deepening and widening of Mithi river on Sunday along with Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya. Dange said,“We are quite happy and satisfied with the progress of work. The holding capacity and the carrying capacity of Mithi has indeed increased to a great extent. The progress achieved on its flushing and discharging capacity too is satisfactory.”  

But sources said the review meeting was undertaken keeping in mind the state government’s meeting with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Monday. “A part of Mithi flows below the runway which needs to be extended. And this requires closure of the runway. The state government wants to discuss the same with the AAI,” said an official. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,during his recent visit to MMRDA,had indicated to the Chief Secretary to initiate talks with the Airports Authority and help resolve the issue related to widening of Mithi within the jurisdiction of the AAI.

The team of officials also visited Motilal Nagar in Bandra-Kurla Complex where a few families,affected by the Mithi Development Project,have been resettled and rehabilitated. “The first phase of the development work has been completed. It is in the second phase that we will undertake beautification of Mithi”,Gaikwad said. “We have installed — on an experimental basis — DynamOx oxygen infusion devices which are working 24 hours to control the odour emanating from the polluted Mithi. National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will examine study and evaluate the results of the device and it is only thereafter the MMRDA will decide on the course ahead,” he added.