The Municipal Commissioner of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), Dr. Kailash Shinde, has suspended two engineers from B Ward (Nerul) for negligence in duty. The engineers, Deputy Engineer Kishore Amarani and Junior Engineer Vinod Jain, had submitted a bill for the final payment to the contractor for the cycle track project, despite the work being incomplete.
The NMMC has been working on a 7.99 km cycle track stretching from Moraj Circle in Sanpada to the civic headquarters in Belapur along Palm Beach Road. Construction began in February 2022, but more than two and a half years later, the project remains unfinished.
Despite this, Amarani and Jain submitted a report recommending the final payment to the contractor. The project's architect flagged the issue, raising objections due to the incomplete work. Following this, a show-cause notice was issued to both engineers. However, their responses were deemed unsatisfactory, prompting the civic chief to take disciplinary action against them for negligence.
The project has faced multiple challenges, including delays in obtaining environmental clearances. The cycle track is designed with a mix of asphalt (3.6 km) and non-asphalt (3.5 km) sections, adhering to environmental and forest regulations. An additional 242 meters will feature small bridges and culverts. The civic body secured the project's approval from the Nagpur Forest Department. When complete, the track will be the first of its kind in the region, equipped with safety fences for cyclists, resting areas with sculptures and fountains, and other cyclist-friendly amenities.
The urgency for such infrastructure was underscored by a tragic incident in February 2024, when a 68-year-old cyclist lost his life after being hit by a taxi on Palm Beach Road. This incident sparked a debate about the need for dedicated cycle tracks in Navi Mumbai. Despite its reputation as a smart city with strong infrastructure, Navi Mumbai still lacks adequate cycling facilities.