As the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections 2022, approach, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) finally decides to clean up the Powai Lake by removing hyacinth growth and debris, which might mean better water quality in a matter of days. The civic body plans to spend Rs 9.22 crores on the project, which will be presented to the standing committee for approval today. Residents and environmentalists have recently criticised the BMC for its proposed cycle track at the lake.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in charge of maintaining the city's water supply lakes. Powai is a popular tourist and local hangout despite the lack of potable water. The lake is losing its luster due to hyacinth growth and sewage water, despite a beautification project.
The overall clean-up cost is estimated to be Rs 9.22 crores. According to specialists, the lake is 25 percent covered in hyacinth, which needs to be reduced to 10%. Activists and citizens have frequently expressed their dissatisfaction with the amount of waste and plastic bottles floating on the water's surface. Hyacinth, for example, is a hazardous flora species that form dense layers over ponds and lakes, reducing the oxygen level in the water body. This reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the water, which aquatic species require.
"The objective will not be served unless the BMC bans sewage water from entering the lake," said environmentalist Stalin Dayanand. We will oppose the proposed legislation." He also mentioned that sewage water is carried into the lake through more than nine nullahs, which contributes to the spread of hyacinth. "I would argue cleaning the lake every six months is good business," he remarked.
The BMC had issued tenders for the clean-up project in August, with a cost of Rs 16.4 crore. Following that, six companies expressed interest in the tender. M/s Bitcon India Infrastructure Developers Private Ltd, one of them, has won the bid and is prepared to work for less than half of the estimated cost. The overall cost of the clean-up would be Rs 9.22 crores if other levies are included.
Image Courtesy: Twitter @fpjindia
