Coastal Road Cable Theft Leaves Mumbai Stretches Dark, BMC Begins Restoration Drive

Mumbai: Repeated cable thefts along Mumbai’s Coastal Road (South) have plunged stretches of the high-speed corridor into darkness and knocked out CCTV surveillance at several locations, prompting the BMC to undertake urgent restoration and preventive measures in coordination with the Mumbai Police. New cables are being laid to restore streetlighting and surveillance and prevent further disruptions.

A meeting of senior BMC and Mumbai Police officials was recently held to address the recurring theft and cutting of streetlight power and CCTV communication cables along the access-controlled corridor. The civic and police administrations are working on measures to prevent further incidents, while a comprehensive preventive plan is also being formulated.

Cable thefts disrupt operations

The Coastal Road’s streetlights were initially powered through copper cables. However, repeated thefts were reported soon after the road was commissioned, following which contractors lodged FIRs with the concerned police stations. To curb the thefts and ensure uninterrupted power supply, the BMC subsequently replaced the copper cables with aluminium ones.

"The switch, however, failed to deter the thieves. Aluminium power cables are now also being repeatedly stolen or cut at several locations, including near Mahalaxmi Temple, Madrasi Wadi, Markandeshwar Temple and Worli," said a civic official.

Repeated cable thefts and cutting have forced the BMC to undertake frequent repair and replacement work. Since uninterrupted streetlighting is crucial for motorists’ safety on the high-speed Coastal Road, stolen or damaged aluminium cables in some stretches have already been replaced two to three times, only to be targeted again.

FIRs registered

Contractors L&T, HCC and the operation and maintenance agency have so far filed around 20–25 FIRs and complaints with the police in connection with the cable thefts. As part of restoration and preventive measures, the BMC has replaced power cables covering an estimated 110 km.

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CCTV cameras non-functional

Several streetlights remain non-functional, resulting in dark patches at locations including Worli and near Mahalaxmi Temple. The cutting and theft of fibre communication cables have also rendered around 60–65 CCTV cameras non-functional. The BMC and Mumbai Police are expediting cable restoration and strengthening measures to prevent further thefts.

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