The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has officially completed its first 100 days of operation, marking a milestone for India’s aviation sector. But on the ground, the 2-3 lakh residents of Ulwe are living in a fuel desert. Despite CIDCO’s ironclad assurance that a petrol pump would be operational by December 2024, the deadline has passed with nothing to show but empty plots and broken promises.

This infrastructural vacuum has turned Ulwe into a ‘ticking time bomb’, where a flourishing black market for illegal bottled-petrol is the only way for locals to keep their engines running. CIDCO had earlier identified three plots for fuel stations, and officials had hinted that the wait would end by December 2024. However, the plan remains on paper.