Experts who visited several nullahs along with these reporters are of the opinion that only 61 per cent of the task has been realised. The silt and garbage festering in these drains are the prime reason for waterlogging in low-lying areas of Mumbai. Team MiD DAY, along with ex-BMC official Bhalchandra Patil and activist James John from Action for good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI), visited over 15 major nullahs in the city. On evidence, many of them had not even been touched by the civic body’s contractors, who are appointed to desilt the drains.

Clearly impossible: The civic body has claimed that 93 per cent of the cleaning work would be completed before monsoon, while the remaining would be done during the rains. However, this seems to be a distant dream, as the Chamdawadi Nullah in Bandra (East) is seemingly untouched. Pics/Datta Kumbhar