During a recent meeting to assess the progress of road concretization projects, Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide announced that the initial phase, covering approximately 300 kilometers, is set for completion by December 2026. The subsequent phase, which encompasses a further 391 kilometers, is expected to conclude by May 2027.
This meeting marked Bhide’s first review of the roadworks since assuming her role as the head of the municipal body.
In a bid to eliminate potholes from Mumbai’s roads, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposed a project in 2022 to concrete a total of 700 kilometers of roadway in two segments. This initiative was originally proposed by Eknath Shinde, who was serving as chief minister at the time.
Bhide emphasized that there would be no extensions granted to contractors, stressing the importance of adhering to the established deadlines. She highlighted the necessity of maintaining road quality and insisted that real-time updates should be provided on the municipal dashboard.
As per the latest data from the BMC’s dashboard, 72 percent of the roadwork has been completed, while 14.6 percent is ongoing, and work has yet to commence on 13.1 percent of the roads.
Attending the meeting alongside Bhide were Mayor Ritu Tawde and Ameet Satam, the BJP MLA and party chief in Mumbai. Following the discussions, Satam reported a significant reduction in costs associated with pothole repairs due to the ongoing concretization efforts.
He noted that expenses for pothole mitigation had decreased from Rs 202 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal year to Rs 156 crore in 2024-25, reflecting a 23% decline. The following year, the costs further dropped to Rs 89 crore, indicating a 43% reduction from the previous year. For the current year, the tender for pothole repairs is anticipated to be around Rs 44 crore, showcasing a 50% reduction compared to last year.
Pratip Acharya is an experienced journalist based in Mumbai, contributing to The Indian Express. With over a decade of experience, he has established expertise in urban issues, civic matters, and electoral politics throughout Eastern and Western India.
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