Aaditya Thackeray reviews mitigation plan for flood spots in Mumbai, directs to expedite transport hub plan

With barely a year to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena has stepped up its focus on civic issues faced by Mumbaiites. On Thursday, Mumbai suburban’ guardian minister and state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray reviewed integrated transport hub plan, mitigation measures on 386 flooding spots and also discussed a self-sustainable model for the BEST.

Thackeray directed the officials to expedite the integrated transport hub (ITH) plan which aims to bring various modes of transport under one roof. According to the plan, the inter-city or inter-state bus terminals will be linked with other modes of transport like BEST buses, Metro and taxis, to ferry passengers from there. This is expected to reduce the influx of vehicles and reduce traffic within the city.

Thackeray assured that immediate relief funds will be released for Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). “A request of around ₹120 crore has been made by the BEST for covering their operational cost, which will be granted from the Covid relief funds. This is apart from the ₹1,000 crore financial aid that is given to the BEST,” a senior civic official said. The BEST services were running throughout the pandemic for ferrying essential services, while other public transport modes were shut.

By January-end, BMC will float tenders to appoint a consultant to conduct a study and present a long-term business plan for the BEST. “We are now looking forward to appointing a consultant to give us a 10-year business plan for BEST to come up with reforms and scope for earning revenue to make it self-sufficient,” Thackeray said.

The BMC has also identified 386 flooding spots in the city and 96 tenders have been floated for initiating mitigation measures for the spots. A senior civic official confirmed that the work has already begun in some of those spots.

Thackeray said that the civic body has set a target for this year to achieve proper lane markers for roads and pedestrian crossing, footpaths and refuge areas, no overhead wires, garbage dump free footpaths, cleaner underbellies of flyovers, streetlights, traffic junctions with art and walking ways.

Source: Read Full Article