NHAI, MBMC pass the buck over NH-48 condition in Mira Road

Documents accessed by Hindustan Times show that NHAI has agreed to hand over the 7-km stretch, from Versova Bridge to Dahisar Check Naka, to the MBMC. But the transfer is pending as the MBMC has not issued a No Objection Certificate

Mumbai: Even as a 7-kilometre (km) stretch of National Highway (NH) 48 passing through Mira Road chokes up everyday due to deteriorating road conditions, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) are busy passing the buck over who will resurface and maintain the road.

NH-48 connects Chennai with Delhi via Maharashtra (HT Photo/ Pic for representation)

The 7-km stretch is part of the 239-km Dahisar-Surat National Highway, which in turn is part of NH-48, which connects Chennai with Delhi via Maharashtra. Multiple government agencies are involved in projects in and around the stretch, including the NHAI which maintains NH-48, the MBMC which maintains connecting roads, and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is constructing a metro line.

Documents accessed by Hindustan Times show that NHAI has agreed to hand over the 7-km stretch, from Versova Bridge to Dahisar Check Naka, to the MBMC. But the transfer is pending as the MBMC has not issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC).

On December 2, the NHAI wrote to the MBMC, saying, “...under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister (Transport), Government of Maharashtra, it was resolved that the road section from km 494.950 (Versova Bridge) to Km 502 (Dahisar Check Naka) of NH-48 is to be handed over to the MBMC for further maintenance and administrative control.”

The NHAI sought an NOC from the MBMC to facilitate the transfer, according to the letter accessed by HT.

The meeting where the decision to hand over the 7-km stretch to the MBMC was taken was held on November 11, 2025, said NHAI sources.

MBMC commissioner Radhabinod Sharma told Hindustan Times that MBMC would accept the stretch only if the road is resurfaced and in good condition.

“The highway isn’t in good shape. Some resurfacing work has been commenced and a bridge is also under construction. We will accept the road stretch only if the road is resurfaced and in good condition. We had conveyed the same during the discussion,” Sharma said.

The cash-strapped MBMC has been seeking financial assistance from the MMRDA to resurface and concretise internal roads for at least a decade now.

Though there is no clarity on when the dispute might be resolved and the stretch handed over to the MBMC, such transfer may pave the way for relocation of the Dahisar toll plaza 2 km to the north.

The NHAI had, in October, shot down the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) application seeking approval for the transfer and space along the highway for the new toll plaza. Once MBMC takes over the 7-km stretch, securing administrative approvals for relocation of the toll booths will be easier as both MSRDC and MBMC come under the state government, while NHAI comes under the union government.