Fadnavis wants 2027 declared 'Metro Year', at least 70 km of corridors completed next year

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that 2027 be treated as the 'Metro Year'. Along with this year's pending work, metro lines totalling at least 70 km should be completed next year. He also said work should be speeded up so that the 36 km of metro lines due for completion by December 2026 can be extended to 50 km.

The Chief Minister said this at a meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House. The meeting was of the Chief Minister's War Room for infrastructure projects, where Fadnavis reviewed various projects. Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal was present.

Fadnavis told officials that the work has to be finished within the set deadlines, so at least 50 per cent of the work on projects should be mechanised. He asked that the availability of skilled workers be ensured and that the labour shortage be addressed through mechanisation.

On Metro Line 2B, on the route from D.N. Nagar to Chembur, girder work remains near Juhu Circle. To complete it, officials have been asked to plan a special 12-hour road block on a Sunday as required. The next road block is to be decided after looking at the current state of the work. The Chief Minister also said care should be taken to cause citizens the least possible inconvenience.

The Sewri-Worli elevated connector is to be completed and the road opened to citizens before May 31, 2027. Fadnavis said that when any new road is joined to another, planning should be done in advance so that no traffic jam forms there. A solution to the Vakola junction traffic jam should be found immediately with the help of technology. He also directed that congestion points on the Western Express Highway be identified and necessary measures taken.

Speaking on safety, the Chief Minister said the MMRDA, the Mumbai municipal corporation and other agencies should carry out a fresh mapping of underground utilities. A system should be set up so that this information is easily available during civic or infrastructure work, and projects take less time to complete.

Where infrastructure work is under way, guide signboards, barricades and other safety arrangements should be put in place for the safety of citizens and workers. Fadnavis also directed that a separate company be set up to provide all safety arrangements at project sites, and that a new business model with very low rates be prepared for these services.

Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) K. Govindaraj, Metropolitan Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Dr Sanjay Mukherjee and Additional Chief Secretary (Water Supply) Parag Jain, among others, were present at the meeting.