Mumbai's dug-up roads: ‘We must hold authorities accountable’

As midday wraps up its special campaign lsquoRoads to Nowherersquo we bring the spotlight onto voices that mattermdashthose pushing for accountability accessibility and intelligent design amid Mumbairsquos ongoing infrastructure overhaul and chaosFor the past several months Mumbai has resembled a city in surgical repairmdashroads dug up across neighbourhoods footpaths vanishing beneath heaps of debris and traffic bottlenecks turning daily commutes into obstacle courses With the BMCrsquos ambitious plan to concrete 413 km of roads across its 43771 sq km jurisdiction the financial capital has transformed into a massive ongoing worksite But beneath the cranes drills and broken tiles lies a deeper story of neglect poor planning and a growing demand for civic accountabilityHawkers and parked vehicles occupy Saibaba Mandir Road amid drainage work in Borivli West PicSatej ShindeAs part of middayrsquos campaign lsquoRoads to Nowherersquo we spoke to experts accessibility advocates and citizen activists who are raising red flags about how this lsquotransformationrsquo is being executedmdashand why Mumbaikars must demand betterMilind Mhaske CEO of Praja Foundation emphasised that the BMC must approach Mumbairsquos infrastructure overhaul with a comprehensive and peoplecentric vision He highlighted the importance of adopting an urban design that prioritises nonmotorised transport walkability and inclusive access for children senior citizens and persons with disabilitiesDevelopment an opportunityldquoMumbaikars need to pick the right debate Instead of simply criticising the BMC for the ongoing road concreting we should ask how is this work being done and how can it be improvedrdquo Mhaske saidldquoI donrsquot see this scale of development as a problemmdashI see it as an opportunity Since we often lack comprehensive planning this citywide effort gives us a rare chance to design systematically with uniform aesthetics accessible infrastructure and improved connectivity Letrsquos use this moment to push for urban design that is peoplecentric not carcentric Planning must include provisions for nonmotorised transport pedestrian pathways and truly inclusive infrastructurerdquo he addedJohn Baptist Road which has been dug up at Bandra West on April 6 PICSHADAB KHANMhaske also stressed the need for sustainability ldquoAre we using materials that align with longterm climate goals and help mitigate the urban heat island effect Are we integrating soak points green patches and plantations to support ecological balance and groundwater recharge If we focus on quality planning and purpose this transformation can redefine Mumbaimdashnot just as a city of roads but as one designed for its peoplerdquo he saidAccessible infrastructureSiddharth Mhatre a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy and a resident of Dadar Parsi Colony has been actively pushing to make his neighbourhood more accessible for those with mobility challenges Whether itrsquos wheelchair users people on crutches or senior citizens with walking sticks Mhatre has consistently advocated for inclusive userfriendly infrastructureldquoAccessibility isnrsquot a luxurymdashitrsquos a basic rightrdquo Mhatre said ldquoIn Dadar Parsi Colony Irsquove been pushing for practical changes For instance bollards should stop motorcycles from entering footpaths but still allow wheelchairs through Irsquom not asking just for myselfmdashthis is for everyone facing barriers daily across MumbairdquoHighlighting key issues he said ldquoThree groups are consistently affectedmdashpersons with disabilities using wheelchairs those walking with crutches and elderly citizens using sticks Simply accessing the footpath is a challenge Surfaces are uneven tiles are broken or missing and encroachments leave little usable space The roadtofootpath transition is abrupt and dangerousrdquoMhatre added that ramps must be part of the initial designmdashnot afterthoughts ldquoThey should be gentle nonslip and have sturdy railings Tactile tiles should be installed across all city footpathsmdashnot just token stretchesmdashso visually impaired citizens can navigate safelyrdquoSheetal Mhatre has been auditing concreting in IC Colony Eksar and Gorai PicDweep BaneAs a Wheelchair Sports Facilitator Mhatre has worked with people across the mobility spectrum ldquoThe feedback is the same we need dignity in movement No one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on city streets The BMC must embed accessibility from day one not treat it as an optional extrardquo he saidGopal Jhaveri Borivli resident and founder of Mumbai March and Road Marchmdashcitizenled campaigns for civic accountabilitymdashexpressed concern about deteriorating standards in road infrastructure work ldquoTherersquos a complete lack of accountability and transparency The process is marred by inefficiency mismanagement and often corruption Therersquos no uniformity in road or footpath design Road levels often mismatch adjoining surfaces creating dangerous slopes posing risks to both pedestrians and motorists and causing waterloggingrdquo he saidHe added ldquoWersquove long demanded realtime publicly accessible information on all road and footpath works Every projectmdashwhether repairs concretisation duct laying or drainagemdashshould be geotagged and available on platforms like Google Maps Citizens should be able to click any road and view its history last repair cost contractor warranty Public access to this data will promote transparency and accountabilityrdquoShopkeepersrsquo goods occupy the footpath of Saibaba Mandir Road in Borivli West a few months ago PICSATEJ SHINDEJhaveri cited the footpath and road along Kasturba Marg next to the Borivli police station which was dug up three times between 2021 and 2022 ldquoWersquove repeatedly asked the BMC to map such repeated works and link them to digital road names Even now concrete is being poured during peak heat without proper water sprinkling This leads to cracks due to thermal stress In their rush to finish before the monsoon contractors are compromising qualityrdquoExperts recommend concrete be poured during cooler evening hours for proper curing ldquoIf the current approach continues wersquoll be redigging these roads in months wasting taxpayer moneyrdquoJhaveri warnedQuestions raisedThe Opposition has intensified criticism of the ruling party and the BMC over Mumbairsquos dugup roads Responding to growing citizen frustration the Mumbai Congress launched a social media campaign titled NoCorruptionMeriGullyMein Led by MP Varsha Gaikwad the campaign calls on Mumbaikars to post photos and videos of damaged or incomplete roadwork in their areasThe campaignrsquos taglinemdashldquoMumbai deserves better roads not bigger scamsrdquomdashaims to mobilise residents demanding accountability It highlights roads dug up for no apparent reason works abandoned midway newly built roads redestroyed and streets where walking feels like an obstacle courseSheetal Mhatre former Congress corporator from Borivli has been auditing ongoing concreting in IC Colony Eksar and Gorai Her inspections have revealed violations of engineering norms and basic logic ldquoThis has gone on for years They do substandard work dig it up again and repeat the cycle Itrsquos the same scam all over Mumbairdquo she allegedMhatre added that BMC officials are often absent from sites leaving contractors unsupervised ldquoThere are no traffic wardens and dust from construction goes unchecked Isnrsquot that a scamrdquo she askedIn another campaign disability rights activist Virali Modi along with Jhatkaaorg has launched a petition demanding Mumbairsquos infrastructure be made accessible to all The petition criticises the BMC for failing to implement its 2023 lsquoSamaveshrsquo project to make the city inclusiveldquoUnder the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 the BMC is legally required to ensure accessibility Yet streets footpaths and transit hubs remain out of reach You can make gardens as accessible as you wantmdashbut if the roads and footpaths arenrsquot whatrsquos the pointrdquo Modi asks in the petitionatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params