India, June 12 -- In a first-of-its-kind operation during its annual pre-monsoon cleaning, the railway authorities pumped oxygen into a 250-metre-long Dadar-Dharavi (DD) nullah to enable conservancy workers to enter safely and clean the heavily silted stretch. The nullah is an important connect between the Mithi river and culverts along the rail tracks which carry rain water into the river.

The culvert located beneath the Matunga railway workshop and passing through sections of both Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) has long been considered one of the most challenging drainage points in the city. During heavy spells of rains, the DD nullah routinely gets choked due to silt, debris and decomposed waste, and the water flowing t...