December 27, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a fresh set of guidelines aimed at ending the practice of selective demolitions and fragmented road widening across Mumbai. The revised framework seeks to address long-standing concerns that piecemeal demolition and roadwork often resulted in incomplete stretches, a lack of coordination among civic departments, and prolonged infrastructure delays that disrupted connectivity across the city.
Under the new rules, the BMC will standardise and digitise the process for issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) required for demolitions or alterations linked to existing roads, Development Plan (DP) roads, and Road Line (RL) roads. By streamlining approvals and improving inter-departmental coordination, the civic body aims to ensure that road widening projects are executed in continuous, contiguous sections rather than in isolated patches. This approach is expected to enhance accountability, transparency, and execution efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
The updated guidelines also lay down provisions for the removal and rehabilitation of tolerated or protected structures that obstruct planned road development. Affected property owners will be eligible for resettlement with an additional Floor Space Index (FSI) of up to 4.0 on rehabilitation plots, subject to applicable policy conditions. The move is intended to balance infrastructure expansion with the protection of residents’ rights and interests.
To avoid delays after demolition, the framework mandates that road development must commence promptly once financial approvals, budgets, and tenders are finalised. Each zone must prepare a Road Priority List, which requires approval from the deputy municipal commissioner, while any subsequent changes will need clearance from the additional municipal commissioner. Further safeguards have been introduced to prevent project overreach, limiting works to a maximum of three roads or 100 affected persons at a time unless additional justification and higher-level approvals are obtained.
Overall, the revised policy reinforces BMC’s push towards technology-driven governance, ease of doing business, and public accountability. By ensuring consistent execution and transparent rehabilitation processes, the new rules aim to deliver more coherent, efficient, and people-centric road infrastructure across Mumbai.
