Nitin Gadkari said the money can also be used to recycle the waste water (File)

In a swipe at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Friday that the civic body is sitting on a huge cash pile, but the mega city's rain troubles persist.

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, controls the BMC, known to be the country's richest civic body.

Mr Gadkari made the remarks after performing "bhumi pujan" (ground breaking) for a mangroves park in Gorai area.

"I have heard that the BMC has Rs 58,000 crore in fixed deposits. And every year we see on TV Mumbai getting flooded (during monsoon), roads going under water. This happens every year," the senior BJP leader said.

The money (which the BMC has) can also be used to recycle the waste water which is discharged into the sea to rid it of pollutants, he said.

He has a water taxi project ready for transportation from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to the under-construction Navi Mumbai international airport, the Union Road Transport minister stated.

"In Venice in Italy, one can take a boat straight to the airport from hotel. I have such a project ready. The day the Navi Mumbai airport becomes operational, people from Vasai-Virar, Kalyan and Bhiwandi can take water taxi to the airport," he said.

Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde also attended the event.