Image: www.mmrdamumbai.org
Mumbai has expanded to one of India’s largest metropolitan city, hosting more 14 Million people inside 600 square kilometers. It undoubtedly world’s most populated region and it keeps growing. Mumbai’s city life runs in thin string infrastructure like buses, trains and personal cars. The traffic choke-ups are a part of already busy and hectic life of Mumbaikars. Mumbai’s development authorities have been criticized for not taking proactive measures in planning additional means of public transportation. But with the recent commencement of Mumbai Metro rail project, MMRDA might have something to say.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) was set up 1975 by Maharashtra government to undertake, finance and supervise development projects involving construction of roads, deploying modes of efficient transportation, maintenance. The governing body of MMRDA consists of 17 members, and it is chaired by Maharashtra urban development minister. Second in line is the organization structure, is executive committee which is responsible for technical guidance, and involves experts from town and urban planning. A separate post for Metropolitan Commissioner has also been created. The commisioner is appointed by Mah. Govt. and is responsible for planning, finance, project management.
MMRDA has executed numerous projects including prestigious “BEST”:
The Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply and Transportation (BEST) was executed by MMRDA within the period of 1997-84, at a total cost of Rs. 500 Million. It involved deploying 700 buses, 5 fly-overs, 5 bus-depots, and 77 traffic signals.
Mumbai urban development project (MUDP) which was executed between 1985-94, in association with Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). It involved developing 88,000 sites in Greater and Navi Mumbai with cost of Rs. 2294 Million. Slum upgradation programme was also implemented in order to improve the standards of 35,000 slum households.
It conceived another Mumbai urban transport project (MUTP) in association with various other state development authorities, to help improve transportation needs. The total project cost is whopping Rs. 45260 Million, out of which Rs. 26020 Million has been borrowed from World Bank. The project will be executed on multiple platforms like construction new roads in various suburbs and building new railway lines.
Nirmal MMR Abhiyan is an ongoing project for deploying 30,000 toilette across Mumbai region with an estimated cost of Rs. 250 Crores. The Indian govt. act against open defecation has led MMRDA in association with NGO to start Nirmal Abhiyan since 2007.
Mumbai Metro rail project is aimed at providing faster mode of daily commuters in Greater Mumbai region. 11 Million people daily avail public transport, 48% via buses and 44% via local trains. The suburban traffic has increased by 6 times and the capacity only 2.3%. The Metro rails will not only speed up the transition time by 50-75%, will carry amount of traffic equaling 26-lanes of cars! In the first phase, Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, 12 Km stretch has been identified as the most important. The work of which has started since 2006 and will be finished around 2011. There are total three phases ans project cost is around Rs. 19,525 Crores.
Despite of belonging to Maharashtra govt. development body, MMRDA has surprisingly worked with focused vision of improving infrastrucutre and transport facility of Mumbai. MMRDA’s esteemed products like BEST or Mumbai local trains continue to server daily commuters without technical faults or mismangament, something that is really appreaciable!
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Thanks for the facts and figures
No probs..buddy…! I was also surprized with the figures…