Mumbai: Mega infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Metro and Coastal Road are crucial to improving transportation in the city, and their successful progress reflects meticulous planning, coordination, and public trust, said Ashwini Bhide, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation.
She was speaking during the Late B. G. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture Series organised by the Maharashtra Chapter of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). Bhide highlighted the vision, complex execution process, and administrative challenges behind major transport projects.
Discussing India’s first fully underground Metro Line-3 (Colaba–SEEPZ), Bhide said the project stands as an example not only of engineering excellence but also of social responsibility. Despite construction ongoing in densely populated areas for over five years, transparency and active communication through social media helped maintain public confidence. “Not a single major incident occurred during construction due to strict safety protocols and high-quality standards,” she noted.
Bhide credited the success of these projects to advance planning, decisive leadership, technology adoption, multi-agency coordination, and a problem-solving approach backed by strong political will. She acknowledged the crucial support of agencies including the Mumbai Police, BMC, Railways, Airport Authority and others.
Highlighting Mumbai’s growing population and geographical constraints, she said integrated transport solutions like the underground metro and coastal road are essential for the city’s future.
Additional Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal praised Maharashtra for overcoming the challenges of underground construction, while IIPA President Swadhin Kshatriya described Bhide’s contribution as historic.
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