January 7, 2026: With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections approaching, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reiterated his commitment to making Mumbai completely pothole-free by the end of 2026, citing large-scale road concretisation as the long-term solution to the city’s chronic infrastructure woes. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Shinde said the ongoing works would bring durable change to road conditions in India’s financial capital.
Shinde noted that since taking office, the state government has prioritised the concretisation of Mumbai’s roads, a process he said would eliminate the recurring problem of potholes for decades. “Once the concretisation work is done, there won’t be any potholes for 25 years. Pothole-free Mumbai is our target,” he said, adding that visible improvements would begin emerging by mid-2026.
Responding to criticism over missed deadlines in the past, the deputy chief minister maintained that the government remained firmly on course. “By the end of May 2026, you will see that a large portion of this concretisation work will be completed. By the end of December, the entire work will be done. So, by end of 2026, you won’t see a pothole in Mumbai and that is my promise,” Shinde said.
He also acknowledged the inconvenience faced by residents and businesses due to extensive road digging and traffic disruptions caused by multiple infrastructure projects, including metro construction. According to Shinde, relief is expected as these projects approach completion over the next year. “In another year’s time or so, most of the infrastructure work in Mumbai will be near completion. Once concretisation work is complete, there will be no trouble because digging of roads will stop completely,” he said.
On the political front, Shinde downplayed concerns surrounding seat-sharing within the ruling Mahayuti alliance for the BMC elections, scheduled for January 15, with vote counting on January 16. Addressing the decision of Ajit Pawar’s faction to contest independently in Mumbai, he said it would not impact governance. “This is a local body election. In some places, we are together; in others, we are separate. Friendly fights have taken place earlier as well, and this will have no impact on the state government,” he said.
