Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) Replying to a high-decibel debate under Rule 293 in the State Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis delivered a comprehensive, data-backed defence of the Mahayuti government’s governance. Addressing urban flooding, massive infrastructure projects like the ‘Missing Link’ and the redevelopment of Dharavi, CM Fadnavis heavily criticised the Opposition for what he termed “baseless criticism”, concluding his address with sharp Urdu poetry.
CM Fadnavis said that while the 25-year-old ‘Brimstowad’ drainage masterplan languished for decades, the Mahayuti government plans to complete its vital pending components within the next two years. Additionally, a massive Rs 13,000-crore comprehensive Flood Control Plan targeting 370 vulnerable hotspots has been sent to the Central Government for final clearance, aiming to drain out floodwater within 30 minutes of high-tide surges.
Presenting stark meteorological data to illustrate the nature of the recent cloudbursts in Mumbai, CM Fadnavis detailed how intense climate variations are testing the city. “Historically, up to July 6, Colaba averages 734 mm of rainfall and Santacruz averages 856 mm for the entire month of July. This year, in just six days, Colaba recorded 882 mm (111 per cent of its monthly average) and Santacruz witnessed 988 mm (102%),” CM Fadnavis stated, adding that 90 per cent of this rain fell over a mere four days.
In a striking regional comparison, CM Fadnavis noted that this six-day volume alone was 117 per cent of Delhi’s entire annual monsoon quota, 113 per cent of Pune’s and 96 per cent of Bengaluru’s. The deluge was worsened by gale-force winds of 50-75 km/h and a high tide exceeding four metres, resulting in large-scale uprooting of trees.
Taking stock of casualties, CM Fadnavis stated that historic seasonal averages show five deaths from tree falls, three from landslides, 13 from building collapses and seven from open manholes annually. To remedy this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been strictly ordered to scientifically test the strength of old trees and utilise prescribed protocols to remove hazardous dead trees.
Defending the state’s drainage mitigation measures, the CM highlighted the deployment of 990 dewatering pumps across the BMC, MMRDA and the Railways, alongside 10 fully operational pumping stations. This year, micro-drainage cleaning reached 112 per cent, while the critical Mithi River saw 83 per cent desilting.
CM Fadnavis took a stinging swipe at past regimes over systemic corruption in civic contracts. “We all remember the notorious desilting scams of yesteryears. When the registration numbers of vehicles allegedly transporting metric tonnes of excavated silt were audited, they turned out to be scooters, auto-rickshaws and luxury cars,” he said.
To completely lock out fraudulent billing, the current administration integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tracking. The technological crackdown resulted in heavy fines being levied on erring contractors — totalling Rs 12.5 crore in 2025 and Rs 9.26 crore in 2026, he said.
In a major policy shift, CM Fadnavis questioned the logic of maintaining massive financial reserves in BMC fixed deposits while basic infrastructure remained underfunded. “While civic FDs stood at Rs 78,000 crore in 2021 and peaked at Rs 91,000 crore during the pandemic due to bulk premium advances, they sit at Rs 78,000 crore as of June 2026. Should we just sit and admire fixed deposits while citizens face daily civic issues?” CM Fadnavis asked.
He explained that municipal fixed deposits earn barely 3 per cent interest while inflation runs at 7 per cent, effectively eroding 4 per cent of the wealth annually. He added that the objective is to use funds for development works instead of keeping the money in fixed deposits. He argued that money used for asset creation would generate better returns and also help timely debt servicing. By liquidating surplus reserves, the administration has safely unlocked Rs 2 lakh crore directly into capital public works. “By investing in development, we gain a 15 per cent socio-economic return compared to a 3 per cent bank yield. Yet, the BMC hasn’t lost its safety net; it remains highly solvent while funding a massive 300-km metro network transition,” he pointed out.
On the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, CM Fadnavis clarified that out of the 104-hectare land parcel, 95 million sq. ft. is earmarked for rehabilitation and 130 million sq. ft. for saleable commercial development. Recognising Dharavi as a global small-scale industrial powerhouse, the blueprint ensures it transforms into a formalised, modern industrial hub rather than merely a housing township. To support local businesses, all commercial units will receive a five-year complete GST exemption. A total of 1,60,000 residential and commercial tenements will be rehabilitated.
Addressing previous eligibility gaps, CM Fadnavis announced that residents who settled before 2000 will receive free 350 sq. ft. homes within Dharavi. Those who settled between 2000 and 2011 will be given homes within Dharavi at a highly subsidised cost of Rs 2.5 lakh. Even ineligible residents will be accommodated in peripheral housing projects. “We have cleared all roadblocks. Within the next 18 months, the first 10,000 rehabilitation homes will be completed, and the keys will be handed over directly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” CM Fadnavis announced.
CM Fadnavis said that to meet Mumbai’s daily deficit of 500 million litres, the long-delayed Gargai Dam project has received environmental clearance and will be completed by May 2029, saving Rs 270 crore through reverse bidding negotiations. Desalination plants at Manori and Versova will start supplying drinking water by 2029-30, making Mumbai drought-resilient. To permanently end the pothole menace, 95 per cent of Mumbai’s 2,050-km road network (1,913 km) is being converted into cement concrete. Consequently, pothole maintenance costs have fallen from Rs 203 crore in 2023 to Rs 45 crore in 2026.
The extended Coastal Road network — connecting Nariman Point to Bandra, Versova, Dahisar and, via an under-creek tunnel, to Uttan and Virar — will allow commuters to reach the Virar Offshore Airport from South Mumbai in just 50 minutes, he said. The structural work on the Dr B R Ambedkar Indu Mill Memorial is 100 per cent complete, with internal curation under way. The Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial will be fully open by January 2027.
Mandating civic purchases through the government’s GeM portal has saved Rs 48 crore in school supplies and Rs 25 crore in IT tenders, resulting in the cancellation of inflated contracts worth Rs 1,032 crore. Work orders are now processed entirely through SAP systems for real-time auditing. CM Fadnavis also criticised those targeting minor landslide incidents on the newly launched Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘Missing Link’ extension. “Some people are so shamelessly dishonest that they crawled onto TV channels to call it a failure the very next day after its opening,” he remarked.
Drawing a historical parallel with the Konkan Railway, he said, “When Madhu Dandavate was building the Konkan Railway, critics claimed it would collapse and fail due to landslides. For 15 years after construction, mudslides occurred, but engineers learned and successfully stabilised it. Had we succumbed to fear, the Konkan Railway would never exist.”
CM Fadnavis revealed that the previous MVA alliance government had officially shelved the Missing Link project after the then Chief Minister penned a two-page note listing 14 reasons why it was “impossible” to execute. “We showed political courage, aligned with world-class engineers, and delivered it. This is not just a road; it is an engineering marvel featuring the world’s widest twin tunnels and India’s highest cable-stayed bridge, built to withstand wind speeds of 170 km/h,” he said.
CM Fadnavis confirmed that despite the landslide falling on the structural canopy, the main bridge has no cracks, the tunnel remains completely safe, and automated emergency sensors dispatched clean-up cranes within three minutes. Traffic resumed in under 18 hours. Brushing aside personal attacks, CM Fadnavis said, “Go ahead and abuse Fadnavis, I am abuse-proof. Ten years from now, these online trolls won’t be remembered, but the names of Fadnavis and Shinde will remain permanently etched onto this Missing Link.”
CM Fadnavis concluded his hours-long address with the couplet: “Manzil mil hi jayegi bhatakte huve hi sahi, Are gumrah toh wo hain jo ghar se nikle hi nahi.” (The destination will eventually be found, even if one stumbles along the way; but lost are those who never even step out of their homes.)
–IANS
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