The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed penalties totaling Rs 9.25 crore on contractors involved in pre-monsoon drain-cleaning works. This action follows the detection of multiple irregularities and deficiencies by its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system. Civic officials announced on Saturday that the penalty amount is being recovered from the contractors' pending bills.
AI System Flags Violations
The AI system analyzed photographs and videos uploaded by contractors as part of the civic body's digital monitoring mechanism, which was introduced to improve accountability in desilting operations. According to the BMC, the system flagged several violations, including reuse of images, failure to upload mandatory unloading videos, mismatches between registered vehicles and work codes, missing photographs, and irregularities during silt transportation and disposal. Physical inspections also revealed inadequate deployment of machinery and manpower, non-provision of safety gear to workers, improper disposal of excavated silt, and delays in completing work as per schedule.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar stated that the BMC follows a “zero tolerance” policy towards lapses in drain-cleaning works. “Whether the deficiencies are intentional or inadvertent, they are unacceptable. Technology has enabled us to identify shortcomings and fix accountability,” he said.
Breakdown of Penalties
Of the total penalty, Rs 8.99 crore pertains to deficiencies detected through the AI system, including Rs 1.39 crore for major drains, Rs 6.11 crore for minor drains, and Rs 1.48 crore for the Mithi River works. An additional Rs 26.46 lakh penalty has been imposed at the rate of Rs 1,000 for each deficient trip. A deficient trip is defined as a situation where a vehicle is not covered properly or if silt is leaking from the vehicle. The civic body found 2,600 such trips.
Desilting Contracts and Issues
This year, the BMC floated a Rs 30-crore tender for desilting the Mithi River during the monsoon, with a contract period of one year. This move came a year after corruption allegations crippled the desilting exercise, with contractors abandoning work midway. As a result, barely 60% of the river-cleaning work could be completed last monsoon. For most major drain cleaning work, a two-year contract issued last year continued this year as well.
Desilting Process and Documentation
Every year before the monsoon, the BMC’s Storm Water Drains Department desilts major drains, while responsibility for cleaning minor drains lies with ward offices. Desilting helps improve rainwater drainage during the monsoon. The work must be documented in three phases: before starting, during execution, and after completion. Each phase must be captured by appointed contractors with date, time, latitude, and longitude (real-time geo-tagging), and uploaded to the designated software platform.
Additionally, data must be recorded regarding the storage site for collected silt, empty dumpers before loading, loaded dumpers after filling, and weight measurements—automatically logged into the system without human interference. Information about silt-transporting vehicles, their registration numbers, and times of arrival at disposal sites must also be maintained. CCTV surveillance will be set up at dumping grounds to track all vehicle movement.
