Calling it a shot in the arm for their movement, founder of River March, Gopal Jhaveri said that the meeting helped them raise relevant issues with Fadnavis.

Jhaveri said, in the meeting, the CM asked the BMC to speed up river re-examination efforts. “We have been raising the issue of pollution entering Dahisar river from Dhobi Ghat and sewer lines of residential areas and slums along the river. The CM asked Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to work out feasibility reports for a treatment plant at Dhobi Ghat and sewage treatment plants at other locations along Dahisar river,” he said.

On June 21, CM’s wife AmrutaFadnavis also visited the Dahisar and Poisar rivers and voiced the need to reclaim them.

The meeting was organised by BJP leader VikramChogle and attended by various high-ranking BMC officials.

Tejas Shah, a volunteer with River March, who raised the issue of concretisation of the river beds and embankments at Dahisar and Poisar rivers, said the Municipal Commissioner’s turn around at the meet surprised him. “No BMC official was willing to listen to us when we were protesting. But in the meeting with the CM, the Municipal Commissioner showed concern over concretisation,” he told DNA.

A senior BMC official informed that officials had visited Dahisar river, and were considering measures to stop waste water from entering the river from various sources.