Authorities must resolve to adhere to timelines

The inevitable looking back/forward begins as we careen towards 2026. Every New Year brings resolve, hope of change, projects, and deadlines. In a city like Mumbai, where things are in tremendous flux and the skyline, including its public infrastructure, is undergoing tremendous transformation, our leaders must ensure that public projects started this year, with a 2026 deadline, are completed within the coming year.

Let us turn the page on not sticking to timelines, passing the buck to different agencies, or even waiting for months on end for the requisite ‘very important’ person to arrive to inaugurate a badly needed public facility or amenity. This should be the year public projects are completed in the stipulated time and opened for citizens to enjoy. In particular, we stress utilities, such as toilet blocks, that are under construction or awaiting completion. We want public parks that are promised to take shape and finish this year so that people can enjoy them. We want pavements or roads that seem to be out of bounds for myriad reasons, closed, repaired and open to the public. Let us not apply Indian Stretchable Time (IST) to these projects. The 2026 resolution must be to adhere to timelines and ensure that a project is signed, sealed, and delivered on time. Often, one has heard people scoff at the deadlines mentioned when infrastructure is announced. This will be delayed by at least one year, they say.