The war room will function in two shifts daily, from 8 am to 11 pm, with continuous monitoring by a team that includes one engineer and three other staff members, said Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project) Abhijit Bangar
The war room will function in two shifts daily, from 8 am to 11 pm, with continuous monitoring by a team that includes one engineer and three other staff members. Pic/X
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said that it has launched a dedicated ‘War Room’ at its headquarters in Fort area of south Mumbai to the ongoing pre-monsoon desilting work in Mumbai.
In a post on X, the Mumbai civic body wrote, "In order to enhance monitoring, transparency and efficiency in drain desilting operations across Mumbai, a ‘War Room’ has been made operational at BMC headquarters and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner chief Bhushan Gagrani conducted an inspection."
🔹In order to enhance monitoring, transparency and efficiency in drain (nallah) desilting operations across Mumbai, a ‘War Room’ has been made operational at the sixth floor of the extended wing at the BMC Headquarters. Municipal Commissioner & Administrator Shri Bhushan Gagrani… pic.twitter.com/reMeK2zoBU
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) April 29, 2025
The war room will function in two shifts daily, from 8 am to 11 pm, with continuous monitoring by a team that includes one engineer and three other staff members, said Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project) Abhijit Bangar.
This year, the contracts for desilting work include stricter terms and conditions. The video documentation of 30 seconds, along with photographs, has been made mandatory for the work. For minor drains, CCTV footage before and after the desilting is compulsory. All these images and videos will be streamed live in the War Room.
Explaining about AI-Powered work, an official said, "Around 7,000 minutes of video footage is expected to be uploaded during the entire desilting period. This footage will be reviewed using AI systems. If any irregularities or unusual occurrences are detected, those videos will be flagged and separated for further review. These flagged videos will then be manually and physically verified by the team. When a vehicle arrives at the weighbridge, it is mandatory to remove the tarpaulin cover. If the cover is not removed, the AI system will automatically flag this, and a weight receipt will not be generated for that vehicle. If an incorrect or manipulated video is uploaded—such as a video recorded from another video—the system is trained to detect such discrepancies."
He added, "All major drains and the Mithi River have been geo-referenced. If a desilting vehicle is found at a location other than the designated nullah area, weighbridge, or dumping site, the system will flag the anomaly. If a vehicle carries significantly more weight than the usual expected load, the system will detect it for further investigation. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, LLaMA, etc., will be used in the desilting process. These AI-powered tools will help analyse the large volumes of data generated and facilitate easier data analytics and insights."
During a recent nullah desilting visit in Mumbai, Gagrani had stated that although the desilting work is progressing satisfactorily, residents from nearby areas continue to dump plastic and other waste materials into the nullah. He appealed to residents living alongside nullah and all citizens of Mumbai not to dump solid waste, discarded items, or plastic materials into the drains, and instead extend their cooperation to the BMC.
Gagrani had mentioned that 43 percent of the pre-monsoon desilting target has already been completed, and the remaining work will be expedited within the next month.
He said, transparency has been introduced in the silt removal process this year. All video footage received during desilting operations is being analysed using artificial intelligence systems. For the first time, AI is being used to monitor desilting work and ensure full transparency in operations, which has significantly aided the administration.
Gagrani further added that to regulate the flow of floodwaters, the Storm Water Drains Department has installed flood control gate at certain locations. These gates help manage water pressure, prevent structural damage, and maintain a controlled and safe flow of water. When the water pressure or level exceeds a specific threshold, the gate opens automatically to release the excess water.
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