Political Will, Japanese Funding, Smart Execution — Fadnavis’ Role For Mumbai’s Infrastructure Growth

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has submitted his nomination for the upcoming state assembly elections. As Fadnavis prepares for the November polls, his past efforts for the state's economic and social growth stand out.

One of his key contributions has been speeding up several important infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

There is a reason for the massive infrastructure upgrades happening all at once in the city right now, and strong political will and smart governance have played a key role. The projects include roads, metro, redevelopments and much more.

Many of these projects were stalled during the MVA regime, but Devendra Fadnavis' return always brought positive news for the state's infrastructure development.

During his tenure as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019, and now as Deputy Chief Minister, Fadnavis played a crucial role in reviving several infrastructure projects that had been stalled for years.

Many transformative urban projects that have the potential to change the landscape of Mumbai were also launched.

War Room and Japanese Collaborations

Fadnavis set up a 'war room' to accelerate key infrastructure projects in the state and ensure their timely completion.

The war room's mandate was clear - prioritise projects that impact large numbers of people and ensure they are not stalled due to departmental inefficiencies.

When it was first launched in 2015, the war room identified ten major infrastructure projects, including the coastal road, Navi Mumbai airport, the second and third Mumbai Metro lines, and the Mumbai Trans-Harbour line.

Each of these projects made significant progress during his tenure.

JICA is known for providing financial and technical assistance for various development projects globally. The agency has been funding infrastructure development in India, across sectors.

This includes transportation, industrial corridors, as well as water supply projects in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, promoting sustainable growth and improving living standards.

Fadnavis government’s initiative to set up a Japanese Industrial Park in the state also outlines the strategy of attracting Japanese businesses and technology to the region. His visits to Japan remained crucial in strengthen partnerships, for the transportation, urban development and healthcare sector.

Thus, during every election, there has consistently been strong support for Fadnavis's return to power.

Below is one of the key infrastructure projects and its story to revival and completion turned around under Fadnavis’s leadership.

Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL)  

The Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) has been a critical project supported by JICA funding of Rs 8,800 crore of the total Rs 17,843 crore.

MTHL project involves the construction 21.8-km-long elevated road, of which 16.11 km is a sea-link that will connect Sewri in South Mumbai to Chile in Navi Mumbai. The project, launched in January 2024, connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.

However, after 53 years since its inception, four failed tendering attempts over twelve years, and 15 Chief Ministers since the original proposal, it was Fadnavis who finally succeeded in meeting all the necessary requirements to launch the project.

According to Ashish Chandorkar’s book The Fadnavis Years, the idea of linking Sewri on Mumbai's eastern shore with Uran on the mainland near Nhava Sheva port was first proposed by Wilbur Smith and Associates in 1963.

Founded in 1952, Wilbur Smith and Associates conducted traffic studies in the United Kingdom, which led the Government of India to commission them for a traffic study in Mumbai.

Between 1962 and 1963, Smith’s firm spent eighteen months analysing Mumbai's traffic needs and making future projections.

In his 1963 report to the Ministry of Transport, he proposed a bridge connecting Uran to South Mumbai. However, the Uran Bridge—now known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link—was placed in cold storage, where it remained for decades.

In 2004, plans to build the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link were brought back to life. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), a state-owned agency, and the private company Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services submitted competing proposals for the project.

However, the state government rejected the Infrastructure Leasing proposal for unknown reasons and did not move forward with the MSRDC proposal either.

It was only in 2011, when the lead was granted to a single agency Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Another hurdle was the costing of the project. It took two more years for all financial clearances to be obtained. The central and state governments then proceeded to allocate their share of the investment for this public-private partnership project.

By August 2013 however, it was clear that no bidder wanted to share the financial burden earmarked for the contracting party. The state government then started looking for new funding options and in January 2014, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) agreed to fund part of the project.

What Changed in 2015?

Dormant for over five decades, the Fadnavis war room revived this critical infrastructure project in 2015, securing the necessary clearances and funding.

Two key state and central approvals were obtained between November 2015 and January 2016 on fast-track.

In February 2016, funding from JICA was secured, contingent on certain design changes and construction standards. The central government provided a counter-guarantee for the JICA loan. The funding agreement between JICA and MMRDA was signed in May 2016.

After a thorough bidding process, the selected contractors began work on the Rs 18,000 crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project in 2018.

JICA agreed to finance eighty percent of the project at a concessional interest rate, while the remaining twenty percent was contributed by the MMRDA and the state government.

Other Key Projects Pushed Forward

Mumbai Metro Line 3

Fadnavis also confronted challenges associated with the Mumbai Metro Line 3, with delays from 2013 to 2016, primarily due to issues related to land acquisition and approvals.

The most critical was clearing out the controversies and delays surrounding land allocation for its depot at Aarey, which was targeted by the MVA government.

Stretched over 1,800 acres of forest land in the northern suburb of Goregaon, Aarey is located near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and hosts a rich biodiversity.

Work on the contested depot in Aarey began in 2015, but was halted in October 2019 by the Supreme Court. At that time approximately 30 per cent work had been completed on the project.

The situation, however, changed with the change in guard at the top, in June 2022. The project was moved back to Aarey from Kanjurmarg, which was later cleared by the Supreme Court.

This line was the first major project to receive JICA funding, with approvals starting in 2013, and the project received a significant official development assistance (ODA) loan of Rs 2,480 Crore.

With a planned route of 33.7 km and 26 stations, the underground network is positioned to enhance connectivity from southern Mumbai to key activity areas, including Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the airport, and SEEPZ.

The line recently became operational with its first phase, while the second phase is nearing completion.

In July, JICA provided the fifth and final tranche of official development assistance, amounting to Rs 4,474 crore, for the Mumbai Metro Line 3.

With a total estimated cost of approximately Rs 28,000 crore, JICA has contributed around Rs 21,000 crore in loans for this underground metro project.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project

Another ambitious venture, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project, was also cleared of hurdles, particularly in 2016, largely due to land acquisition issues and local opposition.

JICA is financing nearly Rs 88,000 crore of the total project cost of Rs 1,10,000 crore.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project is 508 km long and is India's first high-speed rail corridor. The total project cost is Rs 1.1 lakh crore, which is slated to increase more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

While assuring Japan of fast-tracking initiatives funded by JICA, the Maharashtra government, under Fadnavis' leadership, expedited clearances for the bullet train project.

The work on the bullet train project progressed rapidly in Gujarat, but the pace of the project, especially land acquisition was slower in Maharashtra, due to strong resistance from landowners and a lack of political will.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena was a vocal opponent of the project, further hindering its pace.

Of the total 508 km covered by the High-Speed Rail Corridor — 348 km is in Gujarat, 4 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and 156 km lies in Maharashtra. The project required a total of 1,396 hectares of land, with only about 298 hectares needing to be acquired in Maharashtra.

Land Acquistion Challenges

When Devendra Fadnavis returned to power as Deputy Chief Minister in 2022, only about 72 per cent of the required land in Maharashtra had been acquired.

One of the initial moves by the Shinde-Fadnavis government after assuming power in 2022 was to grant preliminary forest clearance for the bullet train project.

As a result, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) successfully secured 97.47 per cent of the land needed for the project.

The government also worked to transfer government department land for the bullet train project. Fadnavis particularly focused on resolving issues in critical areas like Palghar and Thane districts, where tribal communities had raised concerns about their ancestral lands.

This included two small plots in Palghar district, for which NHSRCL requested the state dairy commissioner for the handover in 2021, however, it remained stuck until 2022.

BKC Terminal Related Issues

Further, Devendra Fadnavis played a crucial role in resolving several challenges related to the underground terminal at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

He helped address complex land-use issues at BKC, coordinated with MMRDA for necessary permissions, and fixed design modifications to ensure seamless integration with existing and planned infrastructure in the business district.

The MMRDA ordered the removal of a structure of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited on a 4.2-hectare plot at BKC, which is the starting point of the bullet train route and is earmarked for a terminus of the high-speed train project.

Clearances and Permissions

A dedicated cell to fast-track project-related approvals for the rail project was established.

This specialised unit acted as a single-window clearance system, streamlining environmental clearances for eco-sensitive zones and forest clearances for protected areas — making the approval process more efficient.

A 21-km-long tunnel, including a seven-km-long undersea twin tunnel below Thane Creek, planned between the underground station at BKC and Shilphata as part of the bullet train corridor, was also delayed due to the MVA government's unwillingness to grant clearance for the project.

The administration also expedited urban development permissions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region through improved coordination with municipal authorities.

This included quick processing of construction permits, utility relocations, and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various stakeholders like railways and highways, effectively reducing the bureaucratic delays that had previously hindered the project's progress.

Overall, these efforts and strong political will, accelerated all processes and drove Maharashtra toward realising this ambitious high-speed rail network.

In August 2023,  Devendra Fadnavis also made a visit to Japan, to experience travel on Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, as the project in India progresses.

Versova-Virar Sea Link Project

During his visit, Fadnavis also received support from the Japanese government and JICA.

This reflected early actions and a commitment to new projects by the minister and his government, building a way towards smooth execution and preventing delays for this large-scale initiative.

Beyond the sea link, the project also adds approximately 60 km of suburban roads, promising to alleviate traffic congestion on key routes and spur economic development in the city region.

With an estimated completion date set for December 2026, this project is envisioned to redefine connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Furthermore, over Rs 4,500 crore has been allocated for various water supply and sewage projects with JICA’s assistance.

As Mumbai, the country’s economic centre, had long been deprived of much-needed infrastructure advancements, the city is now entering a new phase of economic growth.