Remember the Chennai floods? Well, if you want to avoid that kind of situation happening in Mumbai, then you must pay attention to the state of the Mithi River. The last time this river overflew, it caused massive floods that led to loss of life and property in Mumbai. The government had promised to clean up and desilt the river to prevent this from happening again, but 10 years later, the river is in a worse condition than before.

How bad is it really?
It is quite bad. Black murky water, floating garbage and lot of waste strewn around; the Mithi River is the biggest and longest river in Mumbai but years of dumping of effluents and waste have turned the river into a cesspit.

What’s causing this?
Industrial belts in Saki Naka and Andheri and then there are the tanneries of Dharavi, all of them discharge their waste into the river. Add to this the waste from the several human settlements along the river bank including the slums and experts estimate millions of tons of garbage have been dumped into the river.

Should I be worried?
Yes. If the fact that a river has been turned into a sewage drain isn’t enough to concern you, then consider this. The Mithi River runs through a number of inhabited areas including the BKC, Powai and the Mumbai international Airport. Continued pollution of the river can contaminate groundwater levels, spreading disease and releasing dangerous gases in these areas. That’s not all. The garbage and accumulated silt can also lead to blockages, causing the river to overflow. If that happens during the monsoons, even high-rise buildings and critical infrastructure like the airport will not be spared.

What can we do about it?
We cannot ignore how vital this river is for the safety of the city during heavy rains. At a time when government is spending massive amounts on building statues in the sea and coastal roads, surely it can allocate funds for the rejuvenation of the Mithi River. To start things off, the government should look at a coordinated strategy to stop the dumping of waste into the river. Globally riverfronts are considered prime property filled with recreational facilities, the government should ensure something similar is worked out for the Mithi River as well.

Mumbai has already faced the Mithi’s fury once. It can ill-afford to do so again.

Ashwini Priolker, Reporter, NDTV