Mumbai: BMC Commissioner Dr. Bhushan Gagrani Leads Monsoon Preparedness Meeting
Mumbai, 22nd March 2024: In the wake of his appointment as BMC commissioner, Dr Bhushan Gagrani swiftly organized a comprehensive meeting on Thursday, engaging assistant commissioners from all 24 wards and various civic departments. The primary focus was on ensuring readiness for the upcoming monsoon season, addressing issues such as dilapidated buildings, desilting of drains, road maintenance, stormwater drains, and disaster management.
Renowned for his administrative acumen, the commissioner led an extensive three-hour session where chief engineers delivered presentations on road conditions and drainage systems. Discussions also encompassed pothole repairs, tender statuses, and disaster preparedness. Furthermore, Gagrani personally assessed the progress of road concretization.
Newly appointed additional municipal commissioners, Abhijit Bangar and Amit Saini, alongside two other AMCs, Ashwini Joshi and Sudhakar Shinde, were present. Bangar, succeeding P. Velrasu, was impressed with his presentation on civic projects, prompting Gagrani to humorously inquire whether he had prior experience with the Thane Municipal Corporation or Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The new civic chief inspected the disaster control room to evaluate emergency measures. He directed ward officers to oversee desilting operations, although major drains fall under the BMC’s central agency rather than ward jurisdiction.
During the meeting, ward officers provided valuable inputs, marking a departure from previous one-way interactions. Gagrani urged officers to prioritize deepening drains and pre-monsoon desilting to ensure efficient water drainage, aiming to preempt citizen complaints regarding waterlogging.
Emphasizing the timely completion of road works to minimize monsoon inconveniences, Gagrani underscored the importance of promptly repairing potholes using advanced resources. He prioritized addressing dilapidated buildings classified under the dangerous C1 category, particularly those owned by the BMC, to mitigate risks of monsoon-related fatalities.
Furthermore, Gagrani advocated for increased surveillance towers in the Juhu Chowpatty area and for enhancing the effectiveness of emergency communication systems. He stressed the necessity of coordinated efforts among various government agencies, including Central and Western Railway, Mumbai Metro, and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, to ensure citizen convenience during the monsoon season.
