A proposal to establish a modern sports complex in Vashi has faced a setback after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) Standing Committee rejected the Rs 51.05-crore project. Following the decision, corporator Sonavi Avinash Lad has approached the Municipal Commissioner, seeking a review and reconsideration of the proposal.
Representing Ward 17, Lad has highlighted the need for accessible sports infrastructure for children and young people, particularly those residing in older CIDCO housing colonies in Vashi. She has also cautioned that scrapping the existing tender and inviting fresh bids could increase the estimated project expenditure by Rs 5–6 crore.
Standing Committee Turns Down Proposal
The proposal was rejected during the Standing Committee meeting on September 4, 2026, when it was presented as agenda item number four. The cited reason was that similar sports facilities had already been developed in Administrative Division 1, whereas Division 2 lacked comparable infrastructure.
Lad has argued that the absence of facilities in another administrative division should not prevent the Vashi project from moving forward. She pointed out that separate sports complex proposals for Ghansoli, Koparkhairane and Airoli are reportedly being prepared through consultants and should be considered independently.
Multiple Indoor And Outdoor Facilities Planned
The proposed complex will occupy approximately 20,400 square metres across plots 11 and 12 in Sector 10A, Vashi. Its outdoor amenities will include a 100-metre running track, three tennis courts, a hockey ground, long-jump and triple-jump facilities, and parking.
Indoor infrastructure will feature a 39.3-metre-square multi-sports hall for badminton, basketball training and other sporting activities, alongside another multipurpose hall.
The development will also include a ground-plus-two-storey reinforced cement concrete (RCC) building with 2,811 square metres of built-up space, along with landscaping, internal pathways, drainage, lighting, firefighting arrangements and solar infrastructure.
Fresh Tendering Could Increase Expenses
The project carries an estimated cost of Rs 51.05 crore, including applicable taxes, consultancy charges, labour insurance and contingencies. Administrative approval was granted on November 17, 2025, through Resolution No. 8902.
Three bids were received under Tender No. 366(1)/2025-26, with all applicants qualifying in the technical evaluation.
Lad has warned that fresh tendering could increase expenses by Rs 5–6 crore due to revisions in the Cost Schedule of Rates (CSR).
She has submitted a memorandum supported by residents’ signatures, urging the civic administration to reconsider the decision and prioritise sports infrastructure for Vashi’s younger population.
Source: The Free Press Journal
