Citizens from the length and breadth of Mumbai are united in their fury over pavements disappearing because of unhinged digging and plain official apathy. mid-day and its readers ask just why has BMC become so callous about citizens’ safety
Rebello Road dug up at Bandra West, on April 6. Pic/Shadab Khan
Walking on Mumbai’s congested streets has always been tough, but ongoing roadwork is making it worse. In this part of the series, mid-day explores how infrastructure projects are shrinking already limited footpaths, making it harder to walk and access roads. Our reporters visited areas across five zones—south, central, western, eastern and northern—to assess how roadwork has worsened traffic jams and hindered accessibility near public utilities, hospitals, schools, and colleges. The daily struggle is now a routine for many residents. Citizens are complaining about poor accessibility, the lack of footpaths, and long traffic jams.
Ongoing roadwork without proper barricading at Lohar Chawl, Mahim, on April 6. File pic
Central Mumbai (Matunga, Sion, Wadala, Mahim)
Debris on footpaths
Darayush Bacha, a resident of Dadar Parsi Colony, said, “We understand the urgency of the work and are cooperating with contractors and the BMC. We know the footpaths can’t be repaired immediately.
One side of the road under construction near Guru Nanak College, Raoli Camp, GTB Nagar, on April 6
However, before the monsoon, contractors should clear all obstacles from the footpaths so people can use them safely.”
In Sion Koliwada, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar) and Rajyogi Jaimal Singh Road present a daily challenge for pedestrians. There is no proper safety or provision for them.
Professor K Praveish Vishwanath Aiyar said, “This work causes major inconvenience to pedestrians, the elderly, and the differently-abled, as there’s no proper infrastructure or consideration for their movement.”
Dug-up footpaths
Another Parsi Colony resident pointed to worsening conditions along Jame Jamshed Road. “The walkability here is terrible. Parts of the footpath have been dug up for utility work and left in poor condition. Several obstacles need to be cleared immediately,” she said.
Unfinished and poorly maintained footpath at Shankar Matha Road, Matunga, Mumbai, on April 4
Payal Shah, a resident of Matunga, echoed similar concerns. “We welcome the road concreting and have not objected to it, but there should be proper planning.
On Gokul Hall Road, the concreting is complete, but the footpath that was damaged during the work hasn’t been fixed. On M Madhavan Road, there is no proper walkway for pedestrians,” she said.
Shah added, “The work in Parsi Colony has been substandard. “Footpaths are damaged, and there are several obstructions, making walking difficult. There should be a proper plan to ensure pedestrian safety.”
Road visits
Matunga East
During mid-day’s visit to Shankar Matha Road, most footpaths were found damaged.
Payal Shah at Jame Jamshed Road, which is currently under construction in Matunga, Mumbai, on April 6
Residents noted, “The roadwork is nearly complete, and we manage to walk on the road at our own risk.” They said the footpath was dug up around 10–12 days ago but hasn’t been repaired. “The surface is uneven. If not fixed soon, the monsoon will make things worse,” locals warned.
Mahim
Mahim’s well-known Kapda Bazar is currently under concreting work, leaving little to no space for pedestrians in the already narrow lane. Drainage work remains incomplete, and proper barricading is missing. Near one house, pipeline repairs are ongoing, again without barricades.
“This is a narrow lane. I’m not opposing the roadwork, but pedestrians need space too,” said local resident Sabnam Sheikh. “Small sections of road could be concreted later to allow walkable space, and there must be proper barricading to ensure safety.”
Mogul Lane
The concreting of Mogul Lane in Mahim has been completed, but nearby footpath work on Manmala Tank Road has caused other issues. During repairs, a tree collapsed due to the ongoing work. Residents said construction debris and equipment are often dumped on the footpath, damaging it.
Manmala Tank
Residents of Manmala Tank Road voiced frustration: “We are fed up. There’s no safety for pedestrians. Half the footpath is regularly covered with debris and construction material. We’ve complained to the BMC, but nothing has been done,” they said.
South Mumbai (Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Charni Rd)
In southern Mumbai, road concreting has led to damaged footpaths, making walking difficult.
A senior citizen walks on the under-construction 1st Pasta Lane, Colaba, Mumbai, on April 11
“We understand the need to concrete dilapidated roads, but random concreting is wasteful and disruptive. Woodhouse Road has been dug up since January, and no work has been done for months. The footpath and bus stop are destroyed. Where should pedestrians walk?” said Jianne Mathew, a Cuffe Parade resident.
Roadwork in progress at Sukhatwala Lane, Fort, Mumbai, on April 5. Pic/ATUL KAMBLE
“Pasta Lane has been dug up since last December, but work is inconsistent. The road is blocked, making walking impossible. Elderly residents are especially affected,” said Ajay Multani, a resident of Colaba.
Roadwork in progress at Pandey Road, Colaba, Mumbai, on April 5. Pic/ATUL KAMBLE
“I would reach college every day in just 15 minutes on foot. But since the road work began on the JSS Marg, walking has become impossible. One side of the road is dug up, and the other half is being used as a two-way road, which leaves no space for pedestrians. The road is too narrow for pedestrians,” said Aarshi Sahijawala, a Charni Road resident.
Western (Bandra, Andheri)
mid-day visited Bandra West and Andheri West and found that at many places, the roadwork is in progress. Local residents allege that the planning for these projects has been poorly executed, making accessibility difficult.
St Roques Road dug up at Bandra West, Mumbai, on April 6. Pic/Shadab Khan (right) The internal roads in SVP Nagar in Andheri have been dug up to create cement concrete roads
Inaccessible footpaths
Ratnakar Ahire, a redevelopment consultant and urban development expert who also resides in Andheri West, said, “This is nothing but the Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas alliance of ruling parties, BMC contractors, and an unelected BMC administration that has been running the show for over two years. It’s a massive conspiracy against honest Mumbaikars who pay taxes but are forced to live in dangerous, broken-down conditions. Everywhere you look, it’s chaos. What can we expect from a government more interested in digging up graves than building anything for the common man?”
Ratnakar Ahire, a redevelopment consultant (right) John Baptist Road dug up at Bandra West. PIC/SHADAB KHAN
Activist Zoru Bhathena said, “Pavements in Mumbai have become totally unwalkable. Every attempt at improvement only makes things worse. Mumbai is not a city for walking.”
Unplanned digging
Mukesh Waghela, a resident of SVP Nagar in Andheri West, said, “The internal roads in my area have been dug up to create cement concrete roads, which is good because they have a longer lifespan compared to tar roads and won’t develop potholes. However, the work should have been planned better to avoid causing inconvenience to people. Right now, there is no place to walk on the footpath, making it difficult for pedestrians.”
Mukesh Waghela Andheri and Zoru Bhathena
Road visits
Bandra West
At St Roques Road in Bandra West, we found that the 260-metre stretch from Rebello Road junction to MT Carmel Road was under construction. As a result, residents and daily commuters were finding it difficult to walk, as footpaths in some places were inadequate. Due to the dug-up roads and improper footpaths, accessibility has become a major issue, especially for senior citizens.
Andheri West
Several roads in Sardar Vallabhai Patel Nagar in Andheri West, have been dug up, making access to footpaths challenging. In some places, the footpath is completely obstructed, forcing pedestrians to walk on uneven road surfaces. Similarly, Adarsh Nagar in Andheri West near Link Road is facing the same issue, where dug-up roads have led to the disappearance of footpaths.
Northern suburbs (Borivli, Malad, Dahisar)
To assess the ground reality, mid-day visited several localities across North Mumbai and spoke to residents, commuters, civic activists, and political workers. Their accounts reveal a grim picture of neglected pedestrian infrastructure amid large-scale construction and digging work.
Pankaj Trivedi, Borivli
Borivli
Pankaj Trivedi, a resident of Srikrishna Society in Borivli, expressed his frustration bluntly. “It seems like the BMC has launched a money-making scheme by digging up the entire northern suburbs. I recently had the misfortune of trying to use the footpaths—and it's a nightmare,” he said.
Dev Nagar Derasar Road dug up for drainage work in Borivli West; (right) Shimpoli Road dug up at Kastur Park, Borivli West. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
“In a city where lakhs rely on public transport and walking to get to work, school, or even just shop, the state of footpaths is absolutely terrible. Hawkers block random stretches, so you can’t walk more than 100 metres without being forced onto the road. There are uneven paver blocks, unauthorised barriers put up by societies, pipes sticking out of nowhere—it’s a mess,” he said.
Dahisar
Rajesh Kumar Pandya, a teacher from Dahisar, echoed similar concerns. “Every other day, someone trips or twists their ankle. We can’t walk without watching every step. There are no signs, just barricades put up by the BMC’s road and traffic department. In many places, both the road and the footpath are dug up or encroached. Where are we supposed to walk?”
Shopkeepers place goods on the Saibaba Mandir Road footpath, Borivli West; (circle) Hawkers and parked vehicles occupy Saibaba Mandir Road amid drainage work in Borivli West. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
He pointed to the road near Anandnagar in Dahisar, close to Vidya Mandir School, which has been dug up for nearly a month now. “The entire stretch from CS Road to SV Road and towards Dahisar Subway is in shambles.” He said.
Malad
Dipesh Tank, a resident of Malad West, pointed out the repeated wastage of public money and lack of coordination between departments. “The footpath stretching from Chincholi Bunder in Malad West up to Goregaon West, near Infant Jesus School, was rebuilt just a few months ago. And now it’s been dug up again—this time for bollards or some railing work, apparently,” he said.
Dipesh Tank, Malad
To assess the ground reality, mid-day visited several localities across North Mumbai and spoke to residents, commuters, civic activists, and political workers. Their accounts reveal a grim picture of neglected pedestrian infrastructure amid large-scale construction and digging work.
Borivli
Pankaj Trivedi, a resident of Srikrishna Society in Borivli, expressed his frustration bluntly. “It seems like the BMC has launched a money-making scheme by digging up the entire northern suburbs. I recently had the misfortune of trying to use the footpaths—and it's a nightmare,” he said.
“In a city where lakhs rely on public transport and walking to get to work, school, or even just shop, the state of footpaths is absolutely terrible. Hawkers block random stretches, so you can’t walk more than 100 metres without being forced onto the road. There are uneven paver blocks, unauthorised barriers put up by societies, pipes sticking out of nowhere—it’s a mess,” he said.
Dahisar
Rajesh Kumar Pandya, a teacher from Dahisar, echoed similar concerns. “Every other day, someone trips or twists their ankle. We can’t walk without watching every step. There are no signs, just barricades put up by the BMC’s road and traffic department. In many places, both the road and the footpath are dug up or encroached. Where are we supposed to walk?”
He pointed to the road near Anandnagar in Dahisar, close to Vidya Mandir School, which has been dug up for nearly a month now. “The entire stretch from CS Road to SV Road and towards Dahisar Subway is in shambles.” He said.
Malad
Dipesh Tank, a resident of Malad West, pointed out the repeated wastage of public money and lack of coordination between departments. “The footpath stretching from Chincholi Bunder in Malad West up to Goregaon West, near Infant Jesus School, was rebuilt just a few months ago. And now it’s been dug up again—this time for bollards or some railing work, apparently,” he said.
Eastern Suburbs (Mulund, Ghatkopar, Chembur)
A large number of roads in the eastern suburbs have been dug up, affecting both small and major roads.
A dug-up stretch in Neelam Nagar in Mulund
Road visits
Mulund East
Multiple stretches, including Navghar Road, RB Thakur Marg, and Neelam Nagar, are dug up. The construction on Navghar Road causes daily traffic jams. Footpaths are occupied by hawkers and shop extensions, making walking nearly impossible.
Nirmal Thakkar
Mulund West
Roads like Devidayal Road and Mahakavi Kalidas Road are dug up, slowing traffic. Footpath obstructions from roadside parking and barricades limit accessibility, making it difficult for senior citizens to walk.
Bhandup
A road in Bhandup West has been dug up for two months, causing major accessibility issues, with the only bus route diverted, forcing residents to walk longer distances.
Roads in Chembur are dug up to make cement concrete roads
Ghatkopar-Chembur
Roads in the Ghatkopar-Chembur belt are dug up despite municipal orders prohibiting new digging, causing inconvenience to both pedestrians and motorists.
“Why are they digging up roads without any prior survey or demand from residents? It’s a nightmare to drive on Navghar Road. Traffic is down to one lane, and there’s no pedestrian walkway. How will people access bus stops or ambulances?” said Mulund resident Chetan Bordawekar.
Chetan Bordawekar, Mulund
“Dug-up roads are causing traffic jams and delays for students heading to exams. Footpaths are already encroached by hawkers,” said citizen activist Nirmal Thakkar.
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