India News | BMC Asks Officials to Approach Police Against Illegal Excavations

Mumbai, Jun 12 (PTI) The Mumbai civic body has directed its officials to lodge police complaints against any unauthorised excavations found in the city.

This directive of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Bhushan Gagrani follows the unauthorised digging of a footpath in Matunga, where some individuals were nabbed for allegedly stealing underground copper wires.

Also Read | Kuwait Building Fire: Death Toll in Building Blaze Climbs to 49; PM Narendra Modi, EAM S Jaishankar Condole Deaths (Watch Videos).

The BMC commissioner has instructed all ward officers across the city to be vigilant and report such activities immediately, according to a BMC release.

Recently, it was discovered that some individuals had dug up a section of the footpath on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, a major thoroughfare in Matunga, and stolen copper cables worth approximately Rs 6.78 lakh.

Also Read | Delhi Water Crisis: Atishi Writes to LG VK Saxena Over Water Crisis, Accuses Senior Officials of Colluding With Tanker Mafia.

The copper cables, measuring about 103 meters, belonged to MTNL and were buried beneath the footpath.

The BMC has begun refilling the excavated footpath to prevent inconvenience to residents, especially with the onset of the monsoon. The civic body has also alerted other agencies in the metropolis about unauthorised road digging, the release stated.

The BMC lodged a complaint with the police on May 17, while MTNL filed a case at the Matunga police station on May 30.

In response to the incident, the BMC has requested increased night patrolling in the Matunga area to prevent further occurrences, the release stated.

Police have arrested six men in connection with the theft of copper wires from underground utility cables in Matunga, officials said on Tuesday.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)