Make in India: A Rs 4 lakh-crore mobility plan for Greater Mumbai in the works

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has drawn up a Rs 4 lakh crore investment road map for a "comprehensive mobility plan for Greater Mumbai," that would overhaul the transportation network in the city and create seamless connectivity between various modes of transport. "We had the plan for some time, but now it has been upgraded," Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said at a press conference on Monday at the Make In India week.

Traffic problems in Mumbai are complex, primarily because of population density, limited land for development and inadequate transport infrastructure. Narrow streets, illegal hawking and unlawful expansion by shops have also impacted the city’s traffic for years. The plan would seek to solve all that, Fadnavis said. He said the government has received proposals from Chinese banks to put money into the project for 30 years.

Fadnavis said infrastructure growth in the state had not matched its economic growth. "Other states raced ahead at the expense of Maharashtra. But now 954 projects have been cleared in 18 months, which calls for an investment of Rs 6.54 lakh crore, including the new international airport at Navi Mumbai," he said.