Mumbai’s ₹17,700 Crore Road Project Faces Delays, Citizens Raise Concerns As May 31 Deadline Nears

Mumbai, May 8, 2025 : With the May 31 deadline looming, Mumbai’s ambitious ₹17,700 crore road concretisation project remains far from complete, drawing sharp criticism from citizens, activists, and former corporators. According to civic data, only 16.64% of the cement concrete work has been completed, leaving over 83% pending with less than a month to go before the monsoon arrives.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has undertaken the project in two phases, covering 2,121 roads spanning 700 km across the city. However, widespread complaints have emerged over shoddy work, mismanagement, and alleged corruption. In several areas, including Bandra, citizens protested the unnecessary digging of roads that were already in good condition.

Former corporators Asif Zakaria and Sheetal Mhatre have openly alleged corruption in the awarding and execution of contracts. Civic activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation pointed out alarming gaps in staffing and supervision. “In the K East Ward alone, 19 projects are being handled by a single junior engineer. This points to a serious lapse in oversight by senior officials,” he said.

During a recent inspection by Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar, substandard concrete mix was found at a work site. The contractor was fined ₹75,000 and a BMC sub-engineer was suspended. Bangar stressed that the corporation aims to complete all ongoing road work by the deadline, adding, “Where full completion is not possible, junction-to-junction connectivity will be ensured to maintain traffic flow.”

Despite these assurances, citizen trust remains low. Activist Debi Goenka emphasized that the focus should not only be on making roads motorable but also on ensuring safe pavements and functional roadside drains. Resident and activist Anil Galgali questioned the BMC’s decision to take on more than 2,000 roads at once, calling it “a strategic failure.” He added, “This work could have been staggered into four phases instead of two. Now, quality is clearly at risk.”

In response, Bangar stated that quality is non-negotiable. He said IIT Bombay and a third-party quality agency have been appointed to oversee the work, in addition to surprise inspections by senior BMC officials.

With monsoon approaching, the BMC has decided not to start any new road work. According to a senior civic official, about 50% of the remaining work will be completed before May 31, while the rest will be resumed post-monsoon. “To make roads motorable during the rains, patchwork will be carried out where full concretisation is incomplete,” the official added.

As the deadline nears, Mumbaikars are left navigating dug-up roads, dust, and traffic chaos, with growing skepticism over whether the city’s largest-ever road revamp project will live up to its promise.