E-Paper
BMC budget focuses on infrastructure
Instead of announcing new projects, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) budget for 2020-2021 budget has put money on the ongoing big-ticket infrastructure
Instead of announcing new projects, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) budget for 2020-2021 budget has put money on the ongoing big-ticket infrastructure projects, keeping a large chunk for the coastal road, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), waste-to-energy plant in Deonar, reclamation of Mulund dumping ground and storm water drains to reduce flooding.
The BMC has allocated ₹2,000 crore for the coastal road, up from last year’s ₹1,600 crore. The work on the ₹12,969-crore coastal road, a pet project of the government, started in October 2018. For GMLR, the civic body has allocated ₹300 crore, compared to ₹100 crore allocated in 2019-2020. The 12.2-km GMLR, another mega project of the BMC to boost east-west connectivity, is currently in the bidding stage. Further, ₹48 crore has been allotted to build the eight ‘missing’ links. Some of the connectors include Mahim-Sion Link Road to Krisha Menon Marg (Dharavi), Ahilyabai Holkar Marg to Lotus Colony Road in Worli and GR Vasarkar Marg to Western Express Highway.
To better the water infrastructure, the BMC plans to undertake the Gargai dam project. The dam will provide 440 MLD water supply to Mumbai. The project is in the planning stage, and the BMC has allocated ₹503 crore for it. The BMC has allotted ₹5 crore for construction of underground tunnels that will hold rainwater in case of excess rainfall to prevent flooding. The project is part of the BMC’s flood mitigation system, the proposal for which has been sent to the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
As the city’s poor waste management system is an area of concern, the solid waste management department has been given money for two mega projects – waste-to-energy plant at Deonar and decentralisation of waste management facility for which the BMC has allocated₹231 crore in 2020-2021. Praveen Pardeshi, civic chief, said, “The coastal road project is not just for car owners, but also includes public transport facilities such as bus lanes. It is our priority to increase areas under roads, and create connectors as required.”
