July 14, 2025: Five major infrastructure projects in Mumbai, including the Rs 1,192 cr Poisar River rejuvenation initiative and a crucial segment of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), are currently at a standstill due to resettlement challenges.
Roughly 4,300 tenements are required to relocate Project Affected Persons (PAPs), but the available housing stock is dispersed across the city, making it impractical and socially unpopular for families to move.
The Poisar River project, approved in 2022 with a 48-month completion window, remains stuck despite securing all necessary environmental clearances. Over 1,500 families residing near Bihari Tekdi in Kandivali are yet to be moved. “Most families are unwilling to shift long distances,” admitted a civic official.
Similarly, the Goregaon Creek Bridge linking Oshiwara and Goregaon requires around 1,200 tenements in Bhagat Singh Nagar. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) lacks sufficient housing stock in the vicinity. “Creating so many units for a single project isn’t feasible. We are depending on a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme to house them,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar.
A 2-kilometre connector road between Magathane and GMLR and the road over bridge (ROB) at Appa Pada in Borivali have also hit similar snags. The ROB, approved in 2021, has overshot its deadline, now extended to November 2026.
While the BMC has around 5,500 PAP tenements, they are widely dispersed. To ease future resettlements, the civic body is building over 15,000 new homes across Mulund, Bhandup, Prabhadevi, Chandivali and Deonar.
Until these are ready, several critical infrastructure projects aimed at easing traffic and preventing floods remain in limbo.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
