Achieving ease of travel through Mega Infrastructure Projects in Mumbai

Mumbai Coastal Road Project:

Mumbai Coastal Road Project (South) is a prestigious project undertaken by BMC from the Princess Street Flyover to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli sea link. The work comprises of Road on reclamation, bridges, twin tunnels under sea & hill, interchange arms, seawall etc. The project work commenced in October 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in November 2023. As of today, almost 72% work is completed. The total project cost is Rs. 12,721 Cr and it is implemented in 3 different packages with L&T and HCC as contractors. The BMC team is being assisted by 3 PMCs and a General Consultant in overall planning and implementation. 

Coastal Road will reduce commuting time by around 70% & fuel saving by about 34%; will also reduce noise & air pollution. The creation of an additional 70 Ha of green area will reduce the pollution level thereby improving the health of the Citizens of Mumbai. The green space includes Cycle tracks, Public parks, Jogging tracks, Open theatres, etc. Dedicated Bus Lane will help to reduce traffic congestion on existing roads which will help safe, faster & low travel cost. Citizens of Mumbai will get an additional Seafront Promenade.

Mumbai Metro Line-3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ):

Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 is Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor from Cuffe Parade to SEEPZ. The Project is undertaken by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation which is a 50:50 JV of Govt. of India & Govt. of Maharashtra. Mumbai Metro Line-3 is part of the Mumbai Metro Master Plan (357 km network consisting of 14 Metro corridors) prepared by Govt. of Maharashtra. Line-3 is a 33.5 km long fully underground Metro corridor with 27 (26 Underground + 1 At grade) stations and connects major CBDs and employment centers, Domestic and International terminals of the Airport, and several areas, which are not served by Suburban Railways. It is expected to carry 17 lakh passengers per day.  The overall estimated cost of the project is Rs. 23,942 crores (revised Cost Rs. 37,276 crores), out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide loan assistance of Rs. 13,235 crores. As of today, more than 80% work is completed and the Project is scheduled to be completed in the year 2023-24.

Metro-3 will reduce the travel time between Cuffe Parade to SEEPZ to less than an hour.  Once operational, Metro-3 will carry 13 Lakh passengers per day and will subsequently carry 17 Lakh passengers per day.  It will reduce fuel consumption to the tune of 2.95 lakh liters/day. As per UNFCCC Auditors Report, once operational Metro-3 will reduce 2.61 Lakh tonnes CO2 emission per annum. It will give respite from the decongestion of the city’s roads as around 6.67 Lakh vehicles will go off the road.

About the Speaker:
Ms. Ashwini Bhide, an IAS officer from the batch of 1995 Maharashtra cadre, is a post-graduate in English Literature from Pune University. She was ranked first among women candidates in Civil Service Examination in the year 1995.

Ms. Ashwini Bhide has helmed some of the most ambitious, complex, and mega-urban infrastructure projects in the city of Mumbai - Coastal Road project as AMC of BMC, Mumbai Metro Line 3 as MD of MMRC, Eastern Freeway, the elevated road to International Airport, several flyovers on major arterial roads and rail over bridges including Milan ROB as well as the first phase of Mumbai Monorail in her stint with MMRDA.

As Additional Municipal Commissioner of BMC, she heads departments such as Information Technology, Coastal Road Project, Fire Brigade & Rescue Operations, Education, Gardens, Zoo, Heritage Cell, Building Construction & Maintenance. She has been driving several IT initiatives at BMC in recent years. She was also the Head of BMC’s COVID19 Response War Room where several digital initiatives were rapidly implemented, including the Daily Dashboards which were recognised at the national as well as international levels. She has also spearheaded the creation of several Miyawaki-style urban dense forests across Mumbai.

In a career of 25+ years, Ms Ashwini Bhide has held key positions such as CEO in Zilla Parishad, Additional Divisional Commissioner, Joint Secretary to the Governor of Maharashtra, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner in MMRDA, Secretary in School Education and Sports and MD of MMRC ie Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. She believes in the power of innovative, practical, scalable and sustainable solutions. Very early in her career, she saw the potential of simple, cost-effective, and rapidly implemented weirs to effectively drive water conservation, and basis the impact of her drive, the initiative came to be recognised as “Vanraai Bandhaare” at the state level, benefiting several farmers and livestock.

Ms. Bhide currently heads the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation which is a 50:50 JV of GOI and GOM. Metro Rail Corporation is executing Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro Line 3. Mumbai Metro Line 3 is part of the Mumbai Metro Master Plan (357 km network consisting of 14 Metro corridors) prepared by the Government of Maharashtra (GoM). Line 3 is a 33.5 km long fully underground Metro corridor with 27 (26 Underground + 1 At grade) stations and connects major CBDs and employment centers, Domestic and International terminals of the Airport, and several areas, which are not served by Suburban Railways. It is expected to carry 17 lakh passengers per day. The overall estimated cost of the project is Rs. 23,136 crores, out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide loan assistance of Rs. 13,235 crores. The project is scheduled to be completed in the year 2023-24.