BMC elections 2026: Mumbai March group seeks better roads, slum rehabilitation, and more

Gopal Jhaveri, founder, Mumbai March. PIC/X@GopalMumbai

The members of Mumbai March, a citizen group representing residents of north and suburban Mumbai, have outlined pressing civic issues demanding completion of the pending roadworks, Metro works, and slum rehabilitation, among others, in the wake of the municipal elections.

The group has flagged frequent problems faced by the residents of suburban Mumbai, where incomplete roads and transport infrastructure remain key issues. The demands include the completion of Development Plan (DP) roads, link roads, service roads, and bridges, and the clearing of footpaths of all hawkers, along with citizen audits and a comprehensive citizen audit mechanism.

"The incomplete road work leads to traffic congestion and poor air quality. The incomplete work on nullah cleaning leads to waterlogging in monsoons. These problems have been sustained year-on-year for suburban residents," said Gopal Jhaveri, founder of Mumbai March.

The group has further asked for prompt completion of Metro projects such as line extensions/connections (Line 7, Line 2A, and Aqua Line), bridges in Rajendra Nagar and Oshiwara-Ram Mandir, and public transport hubs in suburbs like Borivali East. Slum rehabilitation remains a key demand for the group, especially for areas where Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) construction is not feasible.

"Areas like Ganpat Patil Nagar, areas around the airport, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and Malwani have slum pockets, where SRA construction is not feasible owing to the nature of the land. We hope that the civic body resolves the issue, inching closer to the dream of ‘Zero-Slums Mumbai'," said Jhaveri.

The group has laid out a timeline for authorities, with six months to identify pending roads, six to 18 months to begin working on pending projects, and 18 to 36 months to commission transport hubs and other civic plans.