Mumbai's infrastructure revamp takes centre stage as new govt takes charge

BJP-led govt has pledged to develop a metro network of 1,000 km across different cities of state

(This report has been updated)    The Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s (MMR’s) infrastructure is set to gain traction as the new BJP-led government takes charge in Maharashtra and aims to fulfill its pre-poll promises.

 

Some of the party’s commitments include launching a new Vande Metro service to connect Mumbai with nearby cities and a water metro to link coastal cities and islands which may help “reduce the strain on the transportation system in Mumbai.”

 

Bhavik Damodar, Partner, Deloitte India, believes a well-planned water metro network can significantly cut travel time by offering direct routes between key locations, bypassing the bottlenecks often encountered on congested roads or overburdened railways.

 

“Commuters travelling between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai could save substantial time,” he said.

 

The ruling party has vowed to develop a metro network of 1,000 kilometres (km) across different cities of Maharashtra, including MMR. According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), there is about 60 kilometre of metro network in MMR, which is expected to be extended to 360 km within a few years. The authority aims to launch one operational metro project a year for the next few years.

 

Rajashree Murkute, senior director at CARE Ratings, however, does not expect a “quantum jump” in the awarding of projects for now as “the awards momentum in the state did not slow down.”

 

Murkute believes that the focus will be more on faster execution of the announced projects. “However, in terms of overall new orders, we have to wait for them to be announced in due course of time,” she added.

 

According to an MMRDA executive, the authority alone will execute infrastructure projects worth Rs 3 trillion. The key projects are the Thane Ring Metro, the Thane-Borivli Twin Tube Tunnel, and the Orange Gate to Marine Drive Tunnel among others. MMRDA has also been appointed as the planning and implementing agency for the proposed “Third Mumbai.” Some of the authority's projects are in planning stage. 

 

“Recently, Maharashtra has announced more awards in comparison with the other states. So, with a larger emphasis on project execution, our estimate is that the approvals will be pretty much seamless, and we expect minimal hurdles or procedural delays in the execution of these large orders," Murkute said.

 

Currently, there are three completely and one partially operational metro lines. MMRDA is further working on eight under-construction lines, while the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) is working on the partially operational Aqua Line and Metro Line 11. The work on the bullet train tracks, connecting Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex and Ahmedabad, is also expected to expedite. 

 

Murkute anticipates a smooth execution for now and “maybe a little more pickup in awarding activity as they lost some time in the past few months.” 

 

Additionally, the region has two major port projects to look forward to: Vadhavan Port and Murbe Port. Vadhavan Port is a joint venture of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) with shareholding of 74 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively. The Rs 76,000 crore project is being developed in Palghar district. The Murbe Port, another project in Palghar, will be developed by JSW Infrastructure.

 

Furthermore, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor project worth Rs 1.08 lakh crore is also underway. Overall, physical progress of 41.72 per cent and financial progress of 48.80 per cent have been achieved as of March 31, 2024.

 

The party has also promised to introduce the MahaGatiShakti initiative, integrating all infrastructure projects from various state departments, including roadways, ports, and industrial corridors.

 

Murkute states that the new government’s precedence has been to emphasise improving connectivity significantly.

 

“They have been focusing on transport infrastructure, including urban metro, intra-city as well as inter-city, besides road connectivity and ports, and it will continue to remain a mainstay, including road transport, urban metro, ports, etc., which will boost employment generation, as well as real estate development prospects,” she added.