Mumbai: The long-delayed concretisation of 212 roads across eight municipal wards in South Mumbai remains stalled, despite the BMC awarding the contract for a second time. Even with a new contractor appointed, progress has been sluggish, sparking growing frustration among civic officials. The civic authorities had hoped for swift action after the previous contractor was terminated last year owing to inadequate progress in work.
The process of inviting new tenders for the concretisation of roads in South Mumbai began six months after the previous contract was terminated last year. After prolonged negotiations, the contract was awarded to M/s. Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd (NCC Ltd) for approximately Rs. 1,362 crores, which is 4% above the BMC's initial estimate.
However, despite several roadworks in the suburbs and the second phase of work in the island city resuming on October 1 after a four-month hiatus due to the monsoon, work in the island city's first phase has yet to begin.
"While concretisation work in the eastern and western suburbs is progressing at full speed, work in the island city has faced several challenges from the outset. After the state assembly elections, we will confront the contractor about the ongoing delays and push for clarity on the holdup," said a senior civic official.
The island city, with its heavy traffic congestion, is considered a critical area for road development. This has made obtaining the necessary traffic clearances a complex and time-consuming process. Furthermore, limited space for construction has added to the challenges, causing delays. As a result, contractors are reportedly charging higher rates for projects in the island city, said civic sources.
The BMC has set an ambitious target to complete the concretisation of 397 kilometers of roads worth Rs. 6,080 crores by May 31, 2025. However, officials are concerned that the delay in the concretisation of 65 kilometers of roads in the island city could jeopardize the overall project timeline and impact the ability to meet the deadline.
After terminating the first contract, it took several months to secure new bidders for the project. Now, officials plan to meet with the contractor to discuss the ongoing delays and explore potential solutions to resolve the issues, ensuring that the work progresses without further setbacks.
In January 2023, the BMC awarded the contract to Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd (RSIIL) to carry out roadworks in the island city. However, the contract was terminated on November 8, 2023, after the contractor failed to begin work despite several months passing.
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RSIIL was subsequently fined Rs. 64.6 crore for its non-performance. According to sources, no cement concrete road work has been undertaken in South Mumbai over the past one and a half years.
Total road network in Mumbai – 2,050 kms
Concretised till now – above 1,200 kms
Yet to be concretised… Phase 1–397 kms …906 roads(including 212 roads in island city)
Phase 2…309 kms. …1,212 roads