September 20, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been directed to consult local public representatives before taking up any road-digging activity. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar instructed the civic body not to begin such works unless there is a clear demand from local stakeholders. “Local public representatives should be consulted before taking up the digging of roads,” Narwekar said during a meeting held in Mumbai on Friday.
The meeting was convened after repeated follow-ups by BJP MLA Ameet Satam, who has been raising concerns about poor road conditions, potholes, and recurring traffic issues. Satam, recently appointed as the BJP’s Mumbai unit chief, had earlier pointed out that ₹21,000 crore was spent on roads between 1999 and 2022. “Despite spending such a huge amount, Mumbai citizens continue to suffer due to poor road quality,” Satam said. He had also sought a joint meeting of MLAs and BMC officials to identify long-term solutions.
Satam’s recommendations regarding construction material have now been accepted. “The recommendation has been formally accepted by the BMC,” he said. Roads wider than 15 metres will be built using cement concrete, while smaller ones will use mastic asphalt. For roads narrower than nine metres, mastic asphalt will be the standard.
Narwekar further instructed the BMC to complete all pending road projects between October and December. Satam added that “BMC will now create a zone-wise dashboard so that people can track the progress of the work,” aiming to bring transparency and accountability.
To ensure quality, all complaints about substandard road work will be referred to IIT for technical evaluation, based on which action will be taken.
Additionally, the BMC has decided to replace paver blocks on footpaths with stamped concrete for greater durability, safety, and reduced maintenance costs.
Source: Mid-day
