Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani during their inspection of the coastal road tunnel where water seepage was reported in Mumbai on May 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A war of words has erupted between constituents of the ruling Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra over the ₹13,983-crore Mumbai coastal road project — officially named Dharmveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road — over water seepage and delays in the high-speed corridor.
The row broke out after leakages in two to three expansion joints were reported at the southbound tunnel, which is part of the first phase of the road that was inaugurated on March 11. The 9.5-km stretch cut down travel time between Worli and Marine Drive in south Mumbai from 40-45 minutes to 10 minutes.
While inspecting the tunnel, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the leakages would be plugged and the project’s second phase, catering to northbound traffic between Haji Ali and Marine Drive, would be opened on June 10. He also said the complete stretch between Marine Drive and Bandra Worli Sea Link, which was due to be opened by May-end, will be completed by October-end.
Holes in the walls of a tunnel on the coastal road.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Will probe delay: Aaditya
Further extension of the deadline saw leaders of the Opposition alliance levelling corruption allegations against the State government and raising questions on the quality of construction of the project.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray said the project, which began in November 2018, would have been completed and opened to citizens by December 2023 if the MVA had been in power. He said the first phase was inaugurated in haste to claim credit for the project before the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and that the MVA would probe the delay when it forms the government.
“After the corrupt regime toppled our regime, they slowed down the work, and worked on cost escalation,” he said in a post on X, referring to the cost escalation of ₹1,262 crore of the project initially pegged at ₹12,721 crore.
Take responsibility: Mumbai Congress chief
The coastal road project is plagued by corruption and shoddy work has exposed the corrupt government, said Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Wednesday.
“It was inaugurated two months ago and how did this happen so quickly? A project built with public money should have quality work with all safety precautions. Laxity can put people’s lives at risk,” the Congress leader said.
Ms. Gaikwad said if the government wants to take credit for a project started during the Congress’s tenure, then it should learn to take responsibility for the faults in it as well.
Sena (UBT) is lying: BJP
Responding to Mr. Aaditya Thackeray’s comment, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar Ram Kadam accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader of lying. “Be ashamed not of others, but of yourself when you lie. Who had stalled metro rail work? You. Those who have a percentage for every work are afraid now. Did any work progress during your tenure?” he said in a post on X.
The Opposition and ruling fronts were engaged in a tussle over taking credit for the project during campaigning for the Lok Sabha election, when actor Amitabh Bachchan on May 2 shared a video on social media about his experience of using the newly opened road and said that he was able to reach Marine Drive from Juhu in just 30 minutes.
While the BJP credited the NDA government for the project and Mr. Shinde thanked the actor for his appreciation of the development work, the Sena (UBT) stressed its chief Uddhav Thackeray’s contributions and slammed the Mahayuti for repeated delays.
