Internal roads, street-lighting, water supply and sewage networks in Mumbai’s satellite towns like Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi-Ulhasnagar, Mira-Bhayander, Panvel, Ambernath, Kulgaon-Badlapur and Nallasopara may get better soon.
Officials expect a reasonable slice of the Rs 7,060 crore earmarked for satellite towns will benefit these areas and convert them into smart cities for Navi Mumbai, Alibaug, Vasai-Virar, Thane and surrounding townships.
“The infrastructure connecting regional roads and bridges can be funded under this programme. Municipal corporations and councils in the Mumbai metropolitan region will benefit from this,” said sources.
“The prime minister has a vision of developing ‘100 smart cities’ as satellite towns of larger cities and modernising the existing mid-sized cities. To provide the necessary focus to this critical activity, I have provided a sum of Rs 7,060 crore in the current fiscal,” finance minister Arun Jaitley said in his budget speech.
“As the fruits of development reach a large number of people, the pace of migration from rural areas to cities is increasing. A neo-middle class is emerging which has the aspiration of better living standards. Unless new cities are developed to accommodate the burgeoning number of people, the existing cities would soon become unlivable,” he added.
The budget announcement to provide facilities and support to encourage the manufacturing sector and planned special economic zones (SEZ) might help revive the Navi Mumbai and Mahamumbai SEZ in parts of Uran, Panvel and Alibaug. This might also boost the prospects of the Navi Mumbai international airport planned by Cidco.
