BMC approves new policy to minimise road-digging in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved a new trenching policy to reduce repeated road excavation and increase accountability of utility agencies. Municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide cleared the policy this week, which will now be placed before the general body for final approval. Under the new rules, utility agencies can now choose to restore dug-up roads themselves instead of relying on BMC-appointed contractors.

The policy introduces a single-window system for trench permissions, limiting digging to two designated windows each year. Agencies that dig beyond 50 metres must install utility ducts for telecom and low-tension electrical lines. The BMC has slashed reinstatement charges, by around 65% for cement-concrete roads and 35% for non-cement roads, while increasing penalties for illegal excavation to five times the applicable charges, up from double earlier.

The Hindu reports that the policy has drawn mixed reactions. TrivanKumar Karnani of the Mumbai North Central District Forum criticised the move, saying the BMC is outsourcing its work and that fixing accountability will be difficult if agencies fail to restore roads properly. However, a utility agency representative welcomed the policy, arguing it ends buck-passing and makes agencies directly answerable as their brand value is now at stake.