BMC to use videography, AI to prevent malpractices in nallah desilting

MUMBAI: This monsoon, the BMC will explore videography and AI-powered technology for enhanced transparency to prevent malpractices in nallah desilting.

The BMC’s initiative is pursuant to a review meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan on March 4, where chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while assessing infrastructure and other development projects worth ₹1.41 lakh crore, had called for incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the cleaning of drains to ensure that the work is more efficient and completed on time.

Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), told HT that the upcoming changes in the desilting process of city nallahs (drains) aim to enhance transparency and efficiency by doing videography of the length of nallahs and using AI technology to prevent malpractices.

One of the changes is the replacement of static photographs with dynamic videos. This move is expected to improve transparency by allowing stakeholders to track the desilting process better. For minor nallahs, a complete videography will be implemented to document the entire length of the drains. In addition, Bangar highlighted the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into video analytics for desilting, which aims to address certain issues like the dumping of materials other than silt.

“For example, if construction debris or rocks are being dumped instead of the expected silt, AI-powered systems will help detect these irregularities. With a vast number of trucks involved in the desilting process, physically monitoring every single vehicle and ensuring the quality of the material is often challenging. This is where AI comes in, using video analytics to spot discrepancies, such as an abnormal amount of rock being dumped alongside silt,” explained Bangar.

The AI system will flag such anomalies in real-time, allowing for immediate verification by an on-site official. This technology aims to drastically reduce the potential for fraud and ensure that only the correct materials are removed from the drains.

Bangar mentioned that the BMC intends to partner with a specialised agency to make this project workable. “By leveraging technology, the storm water drains department hopes to enhance the quality control process and improve the overall efficiency of the desilting operations before monsoon,” he said.