Mumbai: BMC pushes 'Back to Basics' plan; civic chief directs to complete all road works before monsoon

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC on Saturday stated that it would focus on strengthening the civic services in a citizencentric manner under a Back to Basics approach aimed at improving daytoday governance in Mumbai officials saidThe direction was given by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide during the monthly review meeting of all municipal departments held at the BMC headquartersThe newlyappointed city civic chief said that the corporation must prioritise highquality delivery of essential services such as roads drainage water management and cleanlinessShe stated that civic administration should not only provide services but also ensure they are accessible transparent and responsive to public needsRoad works must be completed before monsoonBhide directed that road works which are over 70 per cent complete must be finished before June 1 2026 ensuring safe and smooth traffic during the monsoon seasonShe added that pothole numbers have reduced significantly over the past three years and related expenditure has also declinedMumbairsquos development projects involve multiple agencies The civic chief stressed the need for better coordination between municipal departments and external authoritiesShe also announced that monthly review meetings will now include one special Saturday session to assess innovation and progress in civic workDrain cleaning and flood prevention planningThe meeting reviewed desilting work in drains across the city Officials were instructed to regularly update citizens and elected representatives on progressThe Commissioner also called for daily updates on drain cleaning work use of social media for public communication longterm planning for chronic waterlogging areas and ensuring all manholes are properly secured before monsoonAshwini Bhide highlighted the need to align infrastructure planning with emerging economic activities such as online food delivery services and gig workShe suggested creating dedicated delivery points and structural support systems for new business models The development plan should also include proper mapping of reserved land using GIS technologyStronger focus on cleanlinessOn solid waste management she said cleanliness should not be treated as a project but as a continuous civic responsibilityOfficials were asked to adopt selfdiscipline and conduct regular field visits along with elected representatives to monitor sanitation conditionsRegular communication with elected representativesAn official statement said that Ashwini Bhide instructed officials to maintain continuous communication with elected representatives and regularly update them on ongoing civic worksShe noted that local representatives play an important role in highlighting groundlevel issues and their suggestions must be addressed promptlyWith major road works currently underway across Mumbai the Commissioner called for the development of Model Operational Norms similar to railway systemsThese norms should include Longterm road maintenance planning Traffic management for the next 10 years Repair and upkeep systems Integration with future mobility needsShe also said road construction must consider the requirements of different business sectors operating in the city it saidThe meeting was attended by senior civic officials including additional municipal commissioners deputy commissioners and department heads from across Mumbairsquos administrative divisions the statement said