Navi Mumbai: The Sajag Nagrik Manch has come down heavily on the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) for its continued neglect in implementing underground utility duct systems across the city. Alleging gross administrative apathy, the civic group halted pipeline work near Agroli, opposite IIT, demanding immediate intervention by senior officials.
The core grievance raised by the group is the absence of planned underground utility ducts along roads, resulting in frequent, uncoordinated road digging for laying telephone, internet, electric, and water pipelines. These repeated excavations have not only led to public inconvenience but also caused damage to newly built roads and existing infrastructure.
According to RTI information cited by the Manch, Navi Mumbai has a road network of approximately 700 kilometers, but only 100–120 kilometers are equipped with underground utility duct facilities. Activists allege that this has created a chaotic situation beneath the city’s roads, with multiple utility providers laying cables and pipes in an unregulated manner. The result is a tangled underground web that causes frequent disruption of essential services such as power and internet during any new infrastructure work.
The issue has also impacted the city’s smart surveillance project. Despite engaging a reputed company like Tata, the NMMC has struggled to fully operationalize its 1,520 CCTV cameras. The Manch claims that more than half of these cameras remain inactive at any given time due to cable damage caused by repeated road excavations.
The protest escalated after the civic body began large-scale road digging to lay pipelines for treated water. The Manch had earlier submitted a memorandum urging the authorities to simultaneously install separate pipes for future utility use to avoid repeated roadwork.
However, with no response or action from the civic departments, members of the Manch stopped work near Agroli and demanded an on-site inspection by the City Engineer, Deputy Commissioner of the Water Supply Department, and the Municipal Commissioner.
Speaking to the media, Arun Kagale, Vice President of Sajag Nagrik Manch, stated, “This is a straightforward planning issue. If the city can lay a treated water line, why can’t it include a parallel duct for future cables? It’s cost-effective and would save the city from future disruption.”
Manch member Pradeep Kashalkar questioned the civic body’s intentions. “This is a golden opportunity to install a utility duct, yet it’s being ignored. Is this mere inefficiency or something else?”
The civic administration had previously assured the Manch in writing that utility ducts would be made mandatory for all future road construction. However, the group claims no tangible action has followed.
Calling the roads a form of national property, Sajag Nagrik Manch organizer Sudhir Dani said, “We have demanded that police register a case against the Municipal Commissioner. Repeated roadwork due to poor planning is a waste of public money and a violation of public trust.”
