Funds crunch keeps road work on hold in Mira-Bhayander

Tenders had been floated for the concretisation of 67 roads in Mira-Bhayander in 2023. The work, to be undertaken by the MBMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), was to be executed by 11 contractors

MUMBAI: The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) is still scrambling to secure funds to resume its ambitious road concretisation project in the twin cities of Mira-Bhayander. The project, pegged at ₹500 crore, commenced post-monsoon in 2023 and was to be completed in June 2024.

Funds crunch keeps road work on hold in Mira-Bhayander

However, MBMC officials said it ground to a halt in August last year as the civic body faced a major shortfall in funds. One loan application has been rejected and the corporation is in the process of applying for a loan with another bank.

Tenders had been floated for the concretisation of 67 roads in Mira-Bhayander in 2023. The work, to be undertaken by the MBMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), was to be executed by 11 contractors.

MBMC officials said they had invested ₹98 crore as the initial payment and had applied for a loan of ₹500 crore from a nationalised bank. In 2024, their loan application had received in-principle approval but was eventually rejected a month ago. Concretisation work was abandoned, leaving many roads half-finished.

In December 2024, the MBMC sought funds from the state government, which referred it to the urban development department (UDD). They, in turn, gave the civic body the go-ahead to obtain loans from banks, “We are now in the process of submitting documents for the loan to another bank,” said Deepak Khambit, city engineer, roads, MBMC. He claimed if the funds come through, the road concretisation project would be completed before the monsoon this year.

MBMC officials said the civic administration was facing a financial crisis due to significant investment in medical infrastructure during the COVID pandemic. MBMC’s budget for 2025-26 is ₹2,694 crore, which includes state and central funds, compared to ₹2,297 crore the previous year, collected mainly through property tax. Khambit said the MBMC has a roadmap for the concretisation of 67 roads and is aiming to complete the work before the monsoon.

Senior MBMC officials said the state government’s go-ahead for the loan came with a number of conditions, including payment of all outstanding dues on existing loans; an increase in revenue collection, creation of new sources of funding; a ban on digging freshly concreted roads; prompt repayment according to the lender’s loan regulations; and a ban on diverting loan funds for any other purpose.

Residents sceptical

Even as the MBMC claims it is going all out to give citizens pothole-free roads, residents say they have lost all hope, citing the civic body’s lack of accountability. “It seems there’s zero accountability among civic officials, who are certainly not taking this issue seriously, despite several accidents,” said Omprakash Agarwal, former corporator from Mira-Bhayander.

Agarwal, a resident of Balaji Nagar in Bhayander, points to roads that have been dug up and left half-finished, saying the MBMC’s is obligated to complete what they started. “There is no coordination between agencies and this has resulted in half-baked roads,” he said.

Agarwal said it is all very well for contractors to stop work when funds run out as they will be paid later along with compensation for the delays. Citizens, however, have no choice but to navigate unfinished roads, which are a hazard.

“With more than 80% of main and arterial roads in the twin city riddled with potholes, and half-baked concretisation, citizens, especially school-going children and senior citizens, are faced with death traps,” said Agarwal.

Pradeep Jangam, a social activist from Mira-Bhayander, said that despite orders from the chief minister to complete the work before June 4, the civic body has made no move to fast-track the concretisation work. “The incomplete work poses a grave danger to life. Moreover, pollution due to construction work is causing health issues for residents,” he said.