Citizens and activists across the city have expressed mixed feelings to the R74,427-crore budget tabled by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday. While some praised allocations for education, healthcare and transport, others were irate about the lack of mention of mangroves and the amount of funds set aside for the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking whose fleet is dwindling.
Zone I
Ashok Gupta, Marine Drive resident
Profession: Landlord of a building in Marine Lines
Expectations: Footpaths and roads that are in bad shape need to be repaired. The drainage system needs to be rectified on a war footing as sewage is being dumped directly into the ocean
Reaction: Separate funds should have been allocated for implementing green infrastructure and protecting natural air purifiers ie mangroves, which protect our city from floods. The funds allocated for open spaces is very meagre.
Zone II
Nikhil Desai, resident of King’s Circle, Matunga
Profession: Retired engineer
Expectations: BEST bus frequency should be increased. Long-pending issues like dumping sewage water in the sea need to be taken up on priority. BMC hospital and school infrastructure should be improved.
Reaction: A major positive is that the sewage disposal projects have been given a substantial amount of funds. Another good thing is that capital expenditure exceeds revenue expenditure. The allocations for concrete road infrastructure, apart from the big projects like the Coastal Road, are insufficient. Highways have been allocated less funds than expected, meaning there will be no major developments on that front.
Rs 1000 CR
Amount of funds set aside for the BEST
Zone III
Mario Fishery, Bandra West resident
Profession: Educator
Expectations: The BMC must focus on health, clean air, transport and schools instead of spending funds wastefully. Upgrade municipal hospitals, improve waste management and control diseases like dengue and malaria through regular fumigation. Upgrading BMC school infrastructure to ensure better learning environments for our children.
Reaction: I welcome the allocations for education, healthcare and transport, but urgent action is needed for effective execution. School upgrades must be fast-tracked, real-time air quality monitoring should be integrated into the MyBMC app, and public transport expansion must be accelerated to ease congestion. Funds allocated to beautification projects should be redirected to essential services like sanitation, housing and air quality improvement. Additionally, app development must be streamlined—Mumbai Air, Traffic Parking, Field Marshal and Tree Removal Permission apps should be merged into MyBMC, avoiding redundancy. Pedestrian safety remains compromised by encroached footpaths and neglected roads. Mumbai deserves a smarter budget that prioritises real improvements over superficial spending, ensuring every rupee benefits its citizens.
Zone IV
Dhaval Shah, Andheri West resident
Profession: Businessman
Expectations: £ The fire station at Chitrakoot grounds in Andheri West should be completed on a war footing. The Development Plan (DP) was made in 1991 but the fire station has not been constructed.
£ Timelines for completing bridges and roads should be strictly adhered to so that people do not face issues.
£ Stricter norms should be put in place so that haphazard construction and demolition are brought under control to mitigate air pollution.
Reaction: Capital infrastructure expenditure should exceed 70 per cent of the budget instead of the current 58 per cent. The Mumbai Eye project plan is welcome and the request for declaring important infrastructure projects as vital urban transportation projects is welcome. Solid waste management charges based on square feet are illogical; they need to be based on the quantum of generation. The BEST bus network needs more support from the BMC and the expedition of constructing pending fire stations was missing, a big lacuna.
Zone V
Jitendra Gupta, Kurla resident
Profession: Businessman
Expectations: Complete the concreting of roads quickly. Twenty years have passed since the plan to drain and beautify the Mithi river was made but no action has been taken. There should be permanent designated zones for hawkers so that they do not encroach upon roads and footpaths. BMC markets should also be upgraded.
Reaction: With the BEST being allocated R1000 crore, the undertaking should opt for mini-buses. Double-deckers are not that useful for last-mile connectivity as they get stuck in traffic. With so much funding, the right implementation is needed. The corporation has also allocated funds for the beautification of the Mithi river. This is a huge win for citizens.
Zone VI
Sachin Manjrekar, resident of Pantnagar, Ghatkopar
Profession: Businessman
Expectations:
£ The dumping ground here stinks terribly, contributing to air pollution. This issue should be tackled on a war footing.
£ Collection and segregation of dry garbage should be done properly.
£ Illegal extensions of shops on footpaths should be demolished to make areas more pedestrian-friendly.
Reaction: The decision to implement a waste-to-energy project with a 600-tonne-per-day capacity is a relief. The BEST should have been allocated more funds. If even one bus costs R30 to R40 crore, how many buses will the BEST be able to afford? A chunk of the R1000 crore allocated to the undertaking will be used on salaries. The education budget was also meagre. Only R25 crore was set aside for the development of gaothans, which isn’t enough.
Madhura Tawde, resident of Ghatkopar West
Profession: Advocate
Expectations: Protecting mangroves should be the topmost priority for the civic body and more funds must be allocated for this purpose.
Reaction: It was disappointing from the environmental point of view. There is no mention of mangroves in the budget. Mangroves are important for flood management. A case has been registered at the National Green Tribunal regarding dumping of debris at a mangrove area in Wadala and the BMC has been held responsible. Yet, no action has been taken.
Zone VII
Arthur Menezes, Borivli West resident
Profession: Businessman
Expectations: The concreting of roads should be expedited in order to ensure that citizens are not inconvenienced. The hawker menace in the suburbs should be dealt with promptly to ensure footpaths and roads are cleared for pedestrians and vehicles. The problem of illegal slums coming up in Mumbai must be addressed as they drain resources.
Reaction: Overall, the budget proposes a boost for infrastructure, hospitals and educational institutions. A universal footpath policy should be implemented immediately by removing hawkers and illegal shops. With the development of infrastructure, the BEST should have been given more funding to connect different areas.
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