The decision to pay the amount was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of civic standing committee members and officials from Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). “The nullah work will start post monsoon and will be completed within a year. We have already submitted the report to the BMC on the culvert and it consists of suggestions by our consultants IITB,” said Ravinder Seth, vice-president-engineering and maintenance, MIAL.  

BMC was supposed to hand over the amount to MIAL two years ago. However, due to disputes and MIAL’s inability to carry out the work, the amount was not paid.

“The downstream desilting work at the nullah is still pending and it is going to lead to flooding in Vile Parle (east) this year. If the airport authorities had started the work on time the BMC would not have had to interfere and keep a check,” said Kishore Gajbhiye, Additional Municipal Commissioner (western suburbs).

Chief Engineer- Storm Water Drains, V L Joshi, said that the nullah is currently two metres deep and needs to be deepened by another metre. “As per the recommendations of the Chitale committee, the nullah should be three metres deep as it will help in faster flow of rain water and prevent flooding in the areas around airport.”

Last week, the two authorities entered into a verbal squabble over the widening of Mithi which joins the same portion of the nullah at Krantinagar that flows under the runway.