Mumbai civic body bans new road digging, asks citizens to report violations

BMC bans new road excavations before monsoon, urging citizens to report violations as it pushes to complete ongoing concretisation work by May 31 for smoother roads

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a strict order banning new road excavations across the city, urging citizens to report any violations to their respective ward offices. The directive comes as part of a pre-monsoon preparedness plan to ensure smoother roads and reduce inconvenience to the public.

 

In an order issued on Tuesday, the BMC reiterated its earlier stance, stating, "No new roads should be excavated for concretisation after February 22. It is strictly instructed that all such road works and allied projects must be completed on or before May 31, 2025, to avoid inconvenience to citizens."

 

Crackdown on unauthorised road digging

 

The order follows repeated violations by contractors who continued digging up roads, including those in good condition, despite clear directives from Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani.

 

Last month, Gagrani announced a halt on road excavations to curb air pollution, emphasising that no new projects should be initiated until the existing dug-up roads are fully concretised. In a meeting with senior civic officials last Monday, he also instructed the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Infrastructure) to immediately stop any new road excavations.

 

On Tuesday, the order-signed by the Deputy Municipal Commissioner—was directed to the Chief Engineer (Roads) and the assistant municipal commissioners of all 25 ward offices in Mumbai.

 

Citizens urged to report unauthorised digging

 

Officials have encouraged the public to stay vigilant and report any unauthorised road excavation in their area. “If people find that a new road is being dug up, they can lodge a complaint at the local ward office, after which action will be taken,” an official was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

 

Authorities have also pointed out that contractors often dig up roads and submit their bills to the BMC for clearance soon after. Under the current tender clause, the civic body must process payments within 30 days to avoid penalties.

 

Road concretisation progress

 

According to BMC data, a total of 372 roads covering 221.76 km were included in the first phase of concretisation, while 759 roads covering 218.24 km were part of the second phase. The work is currently in progress, with officials aiming to complete 132.75 km—roughly 30 per cent of the total ongoing work—before the monsoon arrives.