Activists are worried about the harm done to the JJ Flyover’s pillars during the ongoing beautifying project underneath the 2.1-kilometer-long bridge. They assert that several pillars’ plaster has been broken, revealing the reinforcement rods within, which could cause rust to accumulate and compromise the bridge’s structural soundness.
“The pillars should remain untouched to prevent any weakening of the flyover,” said activist Kamlakar Shenoy. Additionally, activists argue that the backlit advertisement panels affixed to the pillars are further compromising the structure.
32 crore has been set aside by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to beautify the area in south Mumbai beneath the flyover. However, activists have claimed that the project is poorly constructed and excessively expensive. “This is nothing but a waste of taxpayers’ money,” said local activist Abbas Chatriwala, who accessed project details through an RTI request. He pointed out that the contractor spent around Rs 699 per sapling planted and approximately Rs 5 lakh merely to carve politicians’ names on granite.
Local MLA Amin Patel has called for a criminal probe by the Economic Offences Wing, alleging a major scam in the project’s execution. A senior civic official described the beautification effort as a “failed project,” stating that it proceeded mainly due to pressure from the then Guardian Minister, Deepak Kesarkar.
Chatriwala also highlighted that many saplings planted under the project have already died due to poor maintenance. “A thin layer of red soil was placed over construction debris, making it impossible for the plants to survive,” he said. He further criticized the use of low-quality materials, pointing out that broken granite, construction debris on pedestrian crossings, and damaged pillars were clear signs of negligence.
Workers were observed repairing damaged granite around the planted shrubs and replacing old grilles when the Free Press Journal (FPJ) visited the location. Included in the broader Mumbai beautifying Project, the beautifying project consists of paintings, shrub plantations, and the installation of three BEST bus replicas that will function as a museum, library, and café. These buses, however, are still in use and are collecting dust; one of them even has a punctured tyre.
When asked about the exposed reinforcement rods in the pillars, Assistant Commissioner of B Ward Shankar Bhosale said that the beautification efforts did not involve the pillars but promised an inspection. Bhosale acknowledged complaints about poor maintenance and substandard work and assured that efforts were being made to complete the project properly and that an agency was being appointed to maintain the Hop Hop buses.
Although the BMC claims that 95% of the work is complete, activists insist that the project remains flawed and wasteful. “The civic body is violating its own rule against installing structures under flyovers,” said Shenoy, adding that the BMC failed to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Traffic Department before initiating the work. He further alleged that while the work is worth no more than Rs 2–3 crore, the corporation has already paid Rs 13 crore to the contractor.
Notably, this month, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani visited the location and gave the contractor and employees instructions to maintain the facilities, including the BEST bus replicas, properly. A senior BMC official underlined that the project was a failure in spite of these guidelines, stressing that ministerial pressure was the only reason it moved forward.
Source: The Free Press Journal
