BDD chawl redevelopment to get ‘vital project’ status, Metro 2B to be completed in 16 months

Metro 2B to be completed in 16 months; Fadnavis reviews 36 infra projects in Mumbai, Pune and Thane, urges faster completion

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to give the BDD Chawls redevelopment the status of a vital project so that its remaining phases are expedited. It has also set the deadline for Metro 2B between Andheri and Mandale for March 31, 2027, and the metro line between Swami Samarth Nagar and Vikhroli for December 2026.

Redeveloped BDD Chawl

In a meeting of the war room for infrastructure projects chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, a review was taken of the progress of 36 projects in Mumbai, Pune and Thane. Fadnavis asked the agencies to plan the projects in such a way that they were completed in two and a half years or earlier. The projects that were reviewed included the Metro lines, the Atal Setu connector between Worli and Sewri, the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel, the Uttan-Virar sealink and a few projects in Pune.

“After the completion of the first phase at Worli, the remaining phases of the BDD Chawls redevelopment at Worli, Naigaon and N M Joshi Marg will be expedited by giving this the tag of a vital project,” said an official from the housing department. “Once a project is given vital project status, the agencies involved in it regularly review the work to meet the deadline. Environmental and other permissions are given on priority, enabling us to complete the projects in a timely manner.”

The government completed the first leg of the Worli BDD Chawl redevelopment and handed over 556 tenements to the original residents in August this year. The remaining phase at Worli will be completed by May 2029, while the N M Joshi Marg phase and Naigaon phase deadlines are June 2031 and June 2029 respectively.

Fadnavis has also set a new deadline for Metro 2B between D N Nagar and Mandale and has asked MMRDA to complete it by March 31, 2027. The Metro line between Swami Samarth Nagar and Vikhroli is set to be completed by December 31, 2026. The project has hit a land-related obstacle at Shyam Nagar station, and the CM has asked officials to resolve it in 15 days.

“The CM has also asked the authorities to work round the clock to achieve the target of completing the Worli-Sewri connector linking Atal Setu by August next year,” said an official from Mantralaya. “He has directed officials from agencies, including MMRDA, CIDCO, Mhada and other departments, to bring the delayed project back on track.

The Thane-Borivali twin tunnel project, the Uttan-Virar sea link and the Orange Gate-Marine Drive urban tunnel too were reviewed in the meeting. While directing MMRDA to release funds for the Airoli-Katai Naka freeway project, Fadnavis said that it would reduce travelling time to 20 minutes. The authorities have also been asked to complete the 23.8-km road between Vadpe and Thane by March 2026, as it will prove crucial for the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway. The CM was apprised that 19 km of the road had been constructed.

Fadnavis expressed satisfaction at the speed of construction of the Bandra-Versova sea link and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway missing link. The contractors on these projects have been asked to use advanced technology to complete the projects within the stipulated time. The contractors working on the Film City-Khindipada (Mulund) tunnel project have been directed to deploy more manpower for timely completion, as it will allow residents of the western suburbs easy access to the Navi Mumbai airport, an official said.