Mumbai: Roads, bridges get more BMC funds as other projects hit some roadblocks

BMC spent only 2 per cent of allotted funds for big ticket projects like sewage treatment, development plan, Deonar waste-to-energy plant, GMLR

As the civic body spent enormously on the coastal road, city roads and bridges, several other big ticket projects like development plan, sewage treatment plants, Deonar waste-to-energy plant, Goregaon Mulund Link Road have hit hurdles for various permissions, oppositions. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has hardly spent 2 per cent of the money allotted to these projects.

The BMC had set aside Rs 18,750  crore for projects in 2021-22, almost double than the previous year. While the coastal road, city roads, bridges exceeded the allotted budget and needed additional funds, the civic body utilised only Rs 106 crore of the Rs 4,892 crore allotted to sewage treatment plants, development plan, and GMLR. 

Sewage treatment plants 

Of the Rs 1,340 crore allotted for sewage treatment plants, nothing has been used so far amid opposition. Delayed for at least 15 years now, the BMC had invited tenders for construction of six treatment plants at Worli, Dharavi, Bandra, Versova, Ghatkopar and Bhandup under Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project-II and financial bids were open in May 2021. The lowest bidding cost had quoted 30 to 70 per cent over the estimated cost of Rs 16,412 crore for all six plants, taking the project cost up to Rs 26,401.89 crore. The BJP opposed the move and stated that it is way higher than the treatment plants in other areas. “The committee of Veermata Jijabai Technical Institute and Indian Institute of Technology had given their report regarding the costing of the project and we submitted it to higher authorities. The decision is pending,” said an official from the sewage disposal project dept.

Projects under development plan 

The BMC was able to use only Rs 76.7 crore or 3 per cent of the Rs 2,251 crore set aside for development plan, which majorly included developing houses for project-affected people. The proposal to provide monetary relief to PAPs instead of homes came in October as the civic body was struggling to build sufficient apartments for PAPs. The BMC is in need of 36,229 homes for its pending infrastructure projects which will displace people, and the number will soar to over 45,000 in the near future. As per the latest policy, BMC offered compensation of a maximum of Rs 50 lakh to shanties. The BJP, however, alleged that the move would not be helpful for shanties in suburbs as the maximum compensation in those areas, as per BMC’s formula to calculate compensation, is Rs 30 lakh.

Municipal Commissioner IS Chahal said, “The budget allotment for the development plan was mainly for land acquisition for various purposes. But we decided to not take any land in exchange for cash. The land acquisition is now as per accommodation reservation or under TDR. We will pay cash only if we need land for schools, cremation grounds or hospitals. It has helped us save Rs 2,000 crore for the BMC.” 

Goregaon Mulund Link Road 

The work on BMC’s ambitious GMLR has been delayed for at least four years now and only Rs 30 crore of Rs 1,300 crore was spent till November-end. The work will now begin in phases as the environmental study for the tricky tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is not yet completed. In December, the BMC allotted work to construct two 6-lane flyovers and an elevated rotary junction for Rs 819 crore.  The GMLR project spans 12.2 km, including 4.7-km twin tunnels under the national park and a 1.6-km underpass at Goregaon Film City. Officials said the work of completion of the environmental study report is going on simultaneously, till then the work of flyovers starts.

Waste-to-energy plant

After starting the tender process for at least three years ago, the BMC was finally able to award the contract of Deonar waste-to-energy plant in December 2020 at the cost of Rs 504 crore but the work hit the roadblock as it needs environment clearance (EC). After a year the BMC received it from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and now, it has approached Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for its final consent. The plant will generate 4 MW of energy per day. So far, around Rs 120 crore has been spent out of the R758 crore allotted. “Projects that generate less than 15 MW energy do not require an environmental clearance, this project requires one as the ash left after generating energy will be landfilled in Deonar itself,” said an officer with Solid Waste Management (Projects). 

Coastal road 

On the other hand, as the BMC already spent all the allocated budgetary funds of Rs 2,000 for the coastal road by December-end and got the standing committee’s permission for additional Rs 500 crore from the development fund. The work on the 10.58-km Coastal Road started in 2018 and the corporation claimed that 50 per cent of the work is completed. While the total cost was projected to be Rs 12,000 crore, the BMC has spent Rs 1,500 crore in 2020-21. 

Similarly, the road department already spent 95 per cent of the Rs 1,368 crore allotted to it and the standing committee recently cleared contracts worth Rs 2,200 crore for various roads across the city. 

Rs 106cr
Money spent from the R4,892 crore allotted to the projects

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