Mumbai, April 23 -- Ahead of the monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) standing committee has approved contracts worth Rs.29.66 crore for desilting the 22-km Mithi river. The contracts were finalised after the civic body relaxed several tender conditions, having initially failed to attract an adequate number of bidders for the crucial flood mitigation work. According to the proposal approved by the standing committee, the desilting work will be carried out in three phases: from Filterpada in Powai to Teachers' Colony in Kurla, from Teachers' Colony to the BKC Connector bridge, and from the BKC Connector bridge to the Mahim nullah outfall. M/s Prashant Lad has been awarded the contract for the first phase while Tulja Bhavani Constructions has been appointed contractor for the remaining two phases after emerging as the lowest bidders during the tender process, the proposal said. However, Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi questioned the competence of the selected contractors. "The tender has been rigged and the BMC has appointed inexperienced companies. They don't have silt pusher machines and will not be able to complete the work," Azmi alleged. The two firms had been awarded work on asphalting of roads, construction of retaining walls and beautification, where they lacked experience, he explained. "This tender has no negotiation and, most importantly, they do not know where the silt will be dumped," Azmi noted. The Congress leader claimed that in the past, contractors bidding for Mithi desilting tenders used to submit quotes that were 15% below the bid price. But this time, the bids were at par and only one bid was 6% below the bid price, he said. Demanding stricter oversight of the desilting project, Azmi said, "The BMC standing committee must review progress of work every seven days and it must also conduct site visits." Responding to the concerns, a senior civic official told HT concerned authorities had been instructed to ensure that the contractors completed the desilting thoroughly within the stipulated deadline. "The BMC will closely monitor the quality and consistency of the work and payments will be cleared only after proper verification," the official said. Data on desilting would be updated regularly on the BMC's digital platform and any lapses would invite strict action against the contractors, the official noted. The Mithi river is Mumbai's primary and most crucial stormwater channel, and it plays a key role in mitigating urban flooding. Routine maintenance of the river has become central to the BMC's flood mitigation strategy in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 floods. However, persistent accumulation of silt and debris continues to hamper its water-carrying capacity, heightening the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall. This year, the civic body has so far removed 23,257 metric tonnes (MT) of silt, around 18% of the targeted 132,000 MT, from the river. Work began in April as part of the city's annual pre-monsoon preparedness exercise....