The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday stated that it would focus on strengthening the civic services in a citizen-centric manner, under a `Back to Basics` approach aimed at improving day-to-day governance in Mumbai, officials said.
The direction was given by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide during the monthly review meeting of all municipal departments held at the BMC headquarters.
The newly-appointed city civic chief said that the corporation must prioritise high-quality delivery of essential services such as roads, drainage, water management and cleanliness.
She stated that civic administration should not only provide services but also ensure they are accessible, transparent and responsive to public needs.
Road works must be completed before monsoon
Bhide directed that road works which are over 70 per cent complete must be finished before June 1, 2026, ensuring safe and smooth traffic during the monsoon season.
She added that pothole numbers have reduced significantly over the past three years and related expenditure has also declined.
Mumbai’s development projects involve multiple agencies. The civic chief stressed the need for better coordination between municipal departments and external authorities.
She also announced that monthly review meetings will now include one special Saturday session to assess innovation and progress in civic work.
Drain cleaning and flood prevention planning
The meeting reviewed desilting work in drains across the city. Officials were instructed to regularly update citizens and elected representatives on progress.
The Commissioner also called for daily updates on drain cleaning work, use of social media for public communication, long-term planning for chronic waterlogging areas and ensuring all manholes are properly secured before monsoon.
Ashwini Bhide highlighted the need to align infrastructure planning with emerging economic activities such as online food delivery services and gig work.
She suggested creating dedicated delivery points and structural support systems for new business models. The development plan should also include proper mapping of reserved land using GIS technology.
Stronger focus on cleanliness
On solid waste management, she said cleanliness should not be treated as a project but as a continuous civic responsibility.
Officials were asked to adopt self-discipline and conduct regular field visits along with elected representatives to monitor sanitation conditions.
Regular communication with elected representatives
An official statement said that Ashwini Bhide instructed officials to maintain continuous communication with elected representatives and regularly update them on ongoing civic works.
She noted that local representatives play an important role in highlighting ground-level issues and their suggestions must be addressed promptly.
With major road works currently underway across Mumbai, the Commissioner called for the development of Model Operational Norms, similar to railway systems.
These norms should include:
– Long-term road maintenance planning
– Traffic management for the next 10 years
– Repair and upkeep systems
– Integration with future mobility needs
She also said road construction must consider the requirements of different business sectors operating in the city, it said.
The meeting was attended by senior civic officials, including additional municipal commissioners, deputy commissioners, and department heads from across Mumbai’s administrative divisions, the statement said.
