Mumbai Metro expansion, ‘Third Mumbai’ mega city plan announced

The Maharashtra government has unveiled an ambitious urban development roadmap with a strong focus on Mumbai and its metropolitan region including major infrastructure projects expansion of the Metro network and largescale housing initiatives Presenting the Maharashtra Budget 2026 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state is preparing for rapid urbanisation with cities expected to play a dominant role in economic growth in the coming decadesAccording to the chief minister 70 per cent of Maharashtrarsquos population is projected to live in urban areas by 2047 contributing nearly 80 per cent of the statersquos Gross Domestic Product GDP To manage this shift the government has proposed a range of infrastructure and governance reforms with Mumbai positioned at the centre of this transformationMassive Metro expansion planned across Mumbai regionOne of the key announcements in the budget is the governmentrsquos longterm goal of expanding the Metro rail network to 1200 kilometres across Maharashtra significantly strengthening urban mobilityIn Mumbai a major highlight is the Metro Line 11 project which will run from Wadala to Gateway of India The proposed corridor will be a fully underground Metro line and is estimated to cost around 23487 croreThe project is expected to improve connectivity between South Mumbai and other parts of the city while reducing road congestion and travel timeAlongside Metro expansion the government also aims to expand the expressway network in the state to more than 6000 kilometres improving regional connectivity and facilitating faster movement between major citieslsquoThird Mumbairsquo development plan announcedAnother significant proposal is the development of a ldquoThird Mumbairdquo urban zone covering around 200 square kilometres The proposed development will be located near the Atal Setu Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and will include areas such as Kushmanda and SaiChirnerThe government plans to integrate this new urban zone with large infrastructure projects in the region including the Vadhavan Port project and a new urban development corridor referred to as ldquoMumbai 4rdquoOfficials expect the Vadhavan Port project to generate more than 12 lakh jobs potentially creating a major economic hub near the Mumbai Metropolitan RegionNew housing push and slum redevelopmentIn the housing sector the government has proposed a ldquoNo New Slum Frameworkrdquo aimed at tackling the longstanding housing shortage in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMRUnder this initiative the state plans to redevelop around 20 lakh slum tenements while also constructing 10 lakh affordable housing units in the regionThe broader longterm goal is to build 6 to 7 million affordable homes across Maharashtra by 2047 with a major share expected to be in the Mumbai metropolitan areaThe government also plans to promote cluster redevelopment of ageing housing layouts which is expected to improve urban infrastructure and living conditions in densely populated neighbourhoodsRegional authorities to manage urban expansionTo better manage rapid urban growth the chief minister announced plans to establish more than 10 empowered regional development authorities across the stateThese authorities will be modelled on institutions such as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA but will be given greater administrative and financial autonomyIn addition to Mumbai new development authorities are expected to be created for regions such as Nashik Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the SolapurndashLatur belt These regions will be developed as ldquoCity Economic Regionsrdquo aimed at driving investment and economic activityTechnologydriven urban management plannedThe budget also emphasises the use of technology in city management The state government plans to implement Artificial Intelligencebased ldquoDigital Twinrdquo systems for major cities including MumbaiThis technology will allow authorities to simulate and manage urban systems in real time helping improve traffic management water supply systems and disaster response mechanismsAdditionally the government plans to integrate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into the AutoDCR Development Control Regulations system enabling faster and automated scrutiny of building plans and compliance processesThrough these initiatives the Maharashtra government aims to transform Mumbai and other major cities into globally competitive urban centres supported by modern infrastructure technologydriven governance and largescale housing development