Activists and lawyers cite court order that mandates boards displaying details of start and end of infra work at site, yet city road work doesn’t sport a single such sign
No barricades on St Roque Road in Bandra West on April 6. Pic/Shadab Khan
With broken footpaths and dug-up roads across the city, are contractors adhering to norms mandated by the Bombay High Court? Have they put up boards detailing when the work began and when it will be completed? Are barricades in place to protect pedestrians, and are all safety measures being followed? What exactly has the court said?
Advocate Floyd Gracias, Supreme Court Counsel and former law faculty at several Mumbai colleges, said, “Roads across Mumbai’s suburbs are largely dug up. As per the Bombay High Court’s order in Suo Motu PIL No. 71 of 2013, roads and footpaths must be kept levelled and in good condition. However, ongoing construction work grossly violates this order.
No barricades or signage have been put on Dev Nagar Derasar road in Borivli West on April 6. Pic/Satej Shinde
The order mandates boards with construction details, including start and end dates, and the date of full restoration. In most suburban areas, these boards are absent, leaving citizens in the dark, unable to plan vehicular movement or daily commutes.
Section 319 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, also requires a public notice when roads are shut. This is rarely followed, causing extreme inconvenience, especially to senior citizens. Section 321 mandates securing dug-up areas for public safety, but this, too, is often ignored, posing risks of accidents.”
Signage on Rebello Road in Bandra. Pics/Shadab Khan
mid-day reporters visited five city zones to check the ground reality.
Western suburbs (Bandra, Andheri)
In Bandra West and Andheri West, where BMC is laying cement concrete roads, signs of both compliance and violation were found. On St Roques Road in Bandra, a 260-metre stretch from Rebello Road junction to Mt Carmel Road was under construction. At a few locations, proper barricades with banners listing contractor details and work timelines were seen. QR codes had also been pasted on some of them.
Signage on St Roques Road in Bandra
A senior citizen associated with the local ALM said, “The mention of the contractor’s name and BMC officer on the barricades is helpful—we can raise issues directly.” However, parts of the stretch lacked barricades, posing a risk to pedestrians. One senior citizen said, “There are trenches on the stretch and no streetlights at night. Without proper barricades, it’s a serious safety hazard.”
Dhaval Shah, chairman of the local citizens’ association
In SVP Nagar, Andheri West, roads were dug up without any signage or barricading. Lokhandwala resident Dhaval Shah, chairman of the local citizens’ association, said, “Many citizens don’t know when work started or when it’ll end. In some areas, work has been on for over 2–3 months without completion.”
Northern suburbs (Borivli, Malad, Dahisar)
From Dahisar to Goregaon, residents are dealing with dug-up roads, blocked access, and little to no information. In Dahisar East’s Anand Nagar, road work on the CS Road led to a damaged water pipeline, leaving residents without water for two days. The contractor denied responsibility, while BMC shifted blame back to him.
Ex-corporator Sheetal Mhatre argues with surveyor Dongar Singh over poor road surface at Eksar Road, Borivli West. PIC/DWEEP BANE
Ranjeeta Soni, a resident, said, “The trench outside our home is so deep we must walk over loose barricades daily, risking accidents.” Activist Rajesh Pandya pointed out that despite instructions from Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and the BMC commissioner to finish work before monsoon, the R North ward has failed.
Road work on the CS Road in Anand Nagar, Dahisar East, damaged a water pipeline, leaving residents without supply for two days
“In Dahisar East, concrete work started two years ago and is still incomplete. Paver blocks were laid instead of concrete and are now sinking under heavy vehicles.” In Malad, Gaurav Singh said residents don’t know which department is doing what, and there’s no signage to clarify. In Borivli and Goregaon, shops and building entrances remain blocked for weeks.
Barricades are haphazardly set up around a dug-up road at Eksar Road, Borivli West. PIC/DWEEP BANE
Former corporator Sheetal Mhatre called the Eksar Road works reckless. “There’s no planning or supervision. Manholes are lower than road level, making two-wheeler travel dangerous. Gaps between old and new stretches trap water, worsening flooding in areas like Eksar Gaon.”
Rajesh Kumar Pandya
She also flagged missing dowel bars—key to concrete road durability—and said shoddy work would crack by the first monsoon. “One spot was dug up thrice for the same water leakage, with departments blaming each other. It took 20 days to fix—this could’ve led to contamination,” she said.
Contractor site supervisor Vishnu Purohit said, “Work is on track and will be completed by May 31.” But with monsoon approaching, residents remain anxious.
Eastern suburbs (Mulund, Ghatkopar, Chembur)
In the eastern suburbs, multiple stretches of road have been dug up simultaneously. Most sites lack clear signage, barricading, or information about the work. Where barricades exist, they are often placed casually, with no details of the contractor or project timelines. Long stretches along the arterial road leading into Mulund from the Eastern Express Highway have been dug up, causing traffic jams. Similar conditions prevail in Ghatkopar’s Chheda Nagar.
Lack of signage and barricading at multiple roads in Mulund
“This is not development—this is destruction. It’s turning a planned city into a mess,” said activist Kamal Kotai, referring to CG Nagpal Road in Mulund Colony. “For 80 days, residents have suffered due to mismanagement, poor coordination, and no accountability.
Kamal Kotai, activist
Despite IIT-designed plans, nothing is being followed. I’ve tried reaching officials, but the listed numbers are either switched off or unreachable.” He added, “An accident recently occurred, highlighting the negligence. We will hold the Road Department AE and JE responsible for any damage or loss.”
Central Mumbai (Matunga, Sion, Wadala, Mahim)
In areas such as Sion Koliwada, Matunga’s Dadar Parsi Colony, Madhavan Road, and Mahim’s Manmala Tank Road, the lack of safety measures is putting motorists at serious risk.
Barricades and signage missing on the Manmala Tank Road in Mahim
In Sion Koliwada, the Rajyogi Jaimal Singh Road is dug up for concreting at Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar. There is no barricading in place, nor any dust-control measures. Professor Parveish Vishwanath of GNVS College, which is located on the same road, said, “This road is not motorable. There are no safety measures. Only a small stretch has been completed. Authorities need to expedite the repairs.”
At Jame Jamshed Road in Matunga’s Dadar Parsi Colony, there is again no proper barricading. Though a contractor’s representative claimed a mist gun is used to control dust, resident Payal Shah highlighted that half the road is concretised while the other half remains asphalt, creating a dangerous height difference. “This is especially risky for two-wheelers. If the work isn’t finished before monsoon, it could be dangerous,” she said. The contractor assured mid-day the work would be completed before the monsoon.
Barricade without any signage on road outside Guru Nanak College, Raoli Camp, GTB Nagar
Resident Darayus Bacha added, “The contractor took permission to work at night. We agreed because we understand the urgency of completing the work before the rains.” At Mahim’s Kapda Bazar Road, safety and dust control are near non-existent. There’s no barricading, and workers are seen ignoring basic safety protocols. “A thick layer of dust has accumulated on the road, but no preventive steps are being taken,” said local resident Samnan Shaikh.
Prof K Praveish Vishwanath Aiyar, Payal Shah and Samnan Shaikh
At Manmala Tank Road in Mahim, trees have reportedly been damaged due to unplanned use of JCBs during digging. “Two trees were damaged during road work,” said local resident Sachin Sali. “There is no barricade, and a part of the road has been dug at least one to one-and-a-half metres deep. If someone falls in, who will take responsibility?”
South Mumbai (Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Charni Road)
While most roads in South Mumbai have banners displaying project details, mid-day found a few where neither banners nor QR codes were visible. At Purshotamdas Thakurdas Marg in CST, which has been dug up for nearly two months (as confirmed by staff at Siddharth College and St Anne’s School), no signage boards were put up.
Improper barricading near St Anne’s School, Fort. Pic/Ritika Gondhalekar
At H Somani Marg, while a banner was present, the start and end dates had been covered with tape. Upon removing the tape, mid-day found the project began on 24/10/2024 and is expected to end on 15/05/2027—a 24-month timeline excluding monsoons. However, the Traffic NOC mentioned on the board is only valid until 31/05/2025, creating confusion.
“This road has been dug up for over three months. I’ve never seen a supervisor in the morning. A few weeks ago, a pipeline issue led to a two-day water outage for all the shops here. We called the number on the banner but got no response. Only after tweeting and tagging BMC did they act,” said Vishal Pande, chef at 505 Coffee on Sukhadwala Road.
Collapsed barricades at MTNL Lane, Gamdevi on April 5; (right) Barricades with complete information are placed outside Opera House Lane in South Mumbai. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
“Students and staff at St Anne’s school struggle with traffic, noise, and uneven ground. A student recently sprained her leg. Why not do the work during summer vacation when schools are shut?” asked Rohan Singh, a security guard at the school. “We can’t stand outside college for even five minutes due to the traffic chaos. Barricades are often fallen or haphazardly placed,” said Nikhilesh Jadhav, a student at Siddhartha College of Arts, Science and Commerce.
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