Mumbai, March 13: The construction of underground utility ducts along Mumbai’s road concretisation projects has come under scrutiny due to high costs and questionable utilisation.
Former corporator and Congress spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, in a letter to the BMC administration, has demanded a comprehensive technical and financial audit of all such ducts across the city and urged that the findings be placed in the public domain.
Concerns over rising costs
In her letter to Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar, Mhatre highlighted that a review of duct specifications reveals that constructing a standard duct section with eight pipes (two rows of four pipes) costs approximately Rs 79,134 per running metre, which rises to Rs 93,378 per metre after 18% GST.
This translates to a staggering Rs 9.34 crore per kilometre, excluding the additional costs of duct chambers, cast iron frames and covers, which further escalate the overall project expenditure.
Questions on utilisation and design
She flagged key concerns over Mumbai’s underground ducts, including inconsistent duct numbers, potential overdesign of eight-pipe ducts, and widespread underutilisation, with agencies often digging newly concretised roads.
Mhatre also highlighted extra costs and accountability issues, noting that missing or damaged duct chambers and cast iron frames raise concerns about theft and maintenance.
Demand for citywide audit
She urged civic authorities to undertake a comprehensive technical and financial audit of all ducts, verify actual utilisation by power, telecom and other utility agencies, and prepare a citywide integrated utility corridor policy to ensure uniform and effective implementation.
Also Watch:
There is also a call for a technical review of the necessity of eight-pipe ducts, identification of unused ducts, and clarification on responsibility for maintenance and protection of duct infrastructure. However, Bangar was not available for comment.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
