07 July,2026 01:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic
The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday criticised the Maharashtra government, alleging that the recent spell of heavy rainfall across Mumbai, the Konkan region and other parts of the state exposed shortcomings in several major infrastructure projects.
The party claimed that issues related to pre-monsoon drain cleaning work in Mumbai and the impact of heavy rain on major projects contradicted the government's claims of rapid infrastructure development.
In an editorial published in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray camp questioned the quality and preparedness of several high-profile projects promoted by the state government.
The editorial referred to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project and claimed that despite large-scale publicity around the corridor, it faced problems during the first spell of intense rainfall.
According to the editorial, a major crater was reported in the project area on Monday morning, leading to heavy water flow at the site and raising questions over the government's claims of smooth and high-speed connectivity.
The editorial remarked, "The political handling of the incident has followed a predictable pattern. Whenever such structural failures occur, the ruling politicians shift accountability to nature to cover up administrative lapses. In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deflected the blame entirely onto the unprecedented weather conditions. He maintained that while the administration had completed all necessary pre-monsoon preparations, the intensity of the downpour exceeded all engineering expectations -- a defensive explanation that has become standard practice."
The editorial further said that concerns had earlier been raised after potholes appeared on the same Missing Link stretch. It criticised the response to the issue and questioned why repairs were required within months of the project becoming operational.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed that the Missing Link was not the only project facing scrutiny and pointed to issues reported on other major infrastructure projects across Maharashtra.
The party alleged that the Samruddhi Mahamarg, which was promoted as a major expressway project, witnessed potholes and cracks after heavy rainfall. It further claimed that a special team had to be deployed for regular repair work.
The editorial also highlighted reports of water leakage at metro stations during the ongoing monsoon.
According to the party, roof leakages were reported on two operational metro lines, forcing authorities to make temporary arrangements to deal with rainwater.
It also criticised Mumbai's pre-monsoon preparations, alleging that problems such as open manholes, tree falls and waterlogging continued to affect residents during heavy rainfall.
The editorial claimed that several people had lost their lives this season due to rain-related incidents.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said supporters of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis often highlight his role in major projects such as the Samruddhi Mahamarg, Metro network, Atal Setu, Shaktipeeth Expressway, Vadhavan Port, Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Missing Link.
However, the editorial claimed that repeated problems during the monsoon had raised questions over the quality of these projects.
"Monday's structural breach at the Missing Link -- which effectively washed away thousands of crores of public taxpayers' money into a muddy waterfall -- is the latest example," observed the Thackeray camp.
The editorial further questioned the claims made about infrastructure development and asked, "How exactly is he an Inframan?"
(With inputs from IANS)
