Mumbai: The BMC has spent ₹450 crore on beautifying the city in the last ten months and completed 961 works out of 1,199 works. The project includes painting walls and bridges, and installing attractive lighting on the heritage structures, chowks, besides trees and lamp posts; chowpatty areas, too, are being cleaned and illuminated.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the civic body chief Commissioner Dr Iqbal Singh Chahal have conducted many meetings in this regard since July last year. In September 2022, Chahal announced ₹1,749 crore beautification programme and the tenders and works were under process until December. The actual work started in January this year.
Many beautification works ruined due to heavy rainfall
In July, as the city received heavy rainfall, many beautification works were ruined, the civic body said. At many places, lighting on trees is not functioning, painting work has been washed away and footpaths and repaired roads are also in poor condition in some areas.
“If some of the works are affected due to rain, they will be restored by the wards on their level. The BMC has completed 289 works in the city and 662 in suburban Mumbai. The civic administration is completing the work with the help of its 24 administrative wards,” said an official.
Activist Anil Galgali said, “The civic body has not undertaken any project planning. All the wards are taking it up differently. Secondly, action should be taken against contractors and officers responsible for poor quality work or the work which has been ruined during monsoon. The BMC should make a detailed plan of beautification in future; mere illumination and painting will not serve the purpose of beautification.”
