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Vashi2Panvel.Com: Navi Mumbai: May 31: No matter how much the civic authorities defend their good and neat disaster management plan; the city environmentalists shun it completely. Not only that they are outright cynical about these babus but also express pity towards the state of affairs here. In a tête-à-tête with Kamini Gopal, BNHS member and PB Menon, Chairman-Society of Ecological and Environmental Protection, Vashi2Panvel.Com finds out if the disaster management plan of NMMC is foolproof.

Do you see any result of the pre-monsoon work?

Kamini Gopal: The most important is civic concern. Last year, the government had imposed a ban on plastics. But I still see it being used everywhere. For construction and building purposes quarries are made. This leads to hill-slides which was rampant last year.

PB Menon: What work are you talking about? Everything is the same like it was last year. No repair work has been done. Construction work and sand mining is still in full swing. Their bureaucracy is driving me mad. I’m tired now.

Is there a deluge threat this year too?

KG: It’s very unlikely that the 26/7 deluge will not be repeated this year if the same amount of rain occurs this year. The government has not done anything.

PB: Yes, there is a threat. In fact the pond at Killagaothan will start over-flowing in some days. I’ve stayed here for a lot of time so I know how it will behave. The pond will be chocked as reclamation work did not happen here. Floods are inevitable.

Do you think the government is prepared to face the monsoons without any fear this year?

KG: This is something you need to ask them. They must check themselves. I just can’t give my opinion on this. I don’t know.

PB Menon: Not at all. I’ve approached the officials concerned for reclamation work countless times. But they just keep passing the buck making a scapegoat out of the residents. It’s sad but nothing can be done. In the recent budget Rs.15 lakh was sanctioned to Killagaothan. I question where has it gone? Where was it used?

Swati Pandey