Mumbai: In an important move to streamline urban development, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has decided to transfer all reserved public roads in its layouts across Mumbai to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This decision is expected to assist BMC in improving road maintenance, preventing waterlogging during the monsoon, and ensuring alignment with the city's comprehensive development plan.
The decision was made at a meeting held at MHADA's headquarters on January 9, where Sanjeev Jayswal, Vice President and CEO of MHADA, emphasised that the move was intended to expedite the city's urban development and improve road maintenance.
MHADA manages a total of 114 layouts across Mumbai, many of which have reserved public roads under the BMC’s development plan. These roads are critical for the city’s infrastructure, serving the public interest. As part of the decision, Jayswal instructed the concerned Executive Engineers and Property Managers to immediately transfer these roads, whether encroached upon or clear, to the appropriate BMC departments “as-is.”
This transfer will ensure more effective maintenance, repair, and management of roads within the housing layouts, and will also aid the BMC in constructing and upgrading roads according to the city’s development blueprint. The move is expected to accelerate road development, benefitting residents in these areas.
With numerous redevelopment and infrastructure projects currently underway in Mumbai, the transfer of reserved roads has been delayed, causing significant slowdowns in many projects. This decision, following multiple meetings aimed at resolving the issue, is seen as a crucial step in overcoming long-standing delays in road development across the city.