Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said coordinated efforts by various government agencies will be crucial to achieving a pothole-free and slum-free Mumbai. He outlined a strategy that combines large-scale redevelopment with technology-driven monitoring to address the city’s long-standing urban challenges.
Speaking at his official residence on Friday, Shinde said several cluster-based slum redevelopment and rehabilitation projects were being undertaken across Mumbai. The initiatives involve agencies including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
According to Shinde, the focus is on rehabilitating eligible slum residents while providing them with improved housing and essential amenities through planned redevelopment. He said the cluster model would offer better community facilities, including the possibility of reserving an entire floor for recreational activities.
Shinde said redevelopment was not limited to improving housing conditions but could also help control unplanned urban expansion by replacing informal settlements with organised and properly serviced buildings.
At the same time, he acknowledged that preventing new encroachments remains a major challenge for Mumbai. To tackle the issue, he highlighted the BMC’s Network for Encroachment Tracking and Reporting App (NETRAM), which is designed to enable authorities to identify, report and take action against illegal encroachments more efficiently.
On Mumbai’s road network, Shinde said the city’s large-scale concretisation programme was nearing completion. He added that all roads were expected to be concretised within a year and claimed that completing the work would substantially address the recurring pothole problem.
Shinde also commented on the controversy surrounding the change in reservation of the Neville D’Souza football turf in Bandra. The issue has attracted criticism of the ruling party in the BMC.
He maintained that no construction would be carried out on the ground. Referring to the Development Plan prepared during his tenure as urban development minister, Shinde said its objective was to increase the availability of open spaces across Mumbai.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
