Maharashtra civic polls: Fadnavis pledges to ease traffic, fast-track Metro projects in Thane, MMR

Thane: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has shared a comprehensive action plan for Thane and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), pledging to ease traffic congestion and complete key Metro projects within five years.

Speaking at a chat show here on Wednesday night as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign for the Thane Municipal Corporation polls scheduled on January 15, Fadnavis outlined a future defined by seamless connectivity and sustainable infrastructure.

Fadnavis expressed his government's commitment to resolving the traffic congestion that plagues the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

He said the government aims to complete all major Metro works by 2030.

There are plans to link the Coastal Road into a "ring" to divert heavy traffic outside the city limits, he said.

To address the bottleneck on Thane's arterial Ghodbunder Road, the CM announced the development of a "growth hub" at Kolshet-Diva, which will feature water taxi services.

Addressing one of the region's most persistent problems, Fadnavis assured residents that water shortage would be a thing of the past within three years.

He said work on the Poshir and Pelhar dams is slated for completion in the next 36 months.

The long-stalled Gargai project has cleared environmental hurdles after successful negotiations with five villages regarding their voluntary migration. This will provide an additional 500 MLD of water to the region, the CM said.

Fadnavis also said that once the Kalu Dam (at Murbad in Thane district) is fully operational, water issues of the entire MMR will be permanently resolved.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national vision, the CM stated that all traditional "dumping" would cease.

Within the next three to four years, bio-mining projects will replace dumping grounds to process solid waste, he said.

Thane will also have a specialised incubation centre to foster innovation and growth in the region, he added.

On the alliance for polls, the CM acknowledged that many BJP workers initially wished to contest the elections independently. However, he justified the alliance with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in Thane.

"Eknath Shinde is a prominent leader and Thane is the centre of his political identity. It was not right to hurt our ally on his home turf. We decided to accept fewer seats to maintain the strength of the alliance," he said.

Out of the total 131 seats in the TMC, the Shiv Sena is contesting 87 and the BJP 40.

In a swipe at political rivals, Fadnavis said that while (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray was the “only true brand” in Maharashtra, anyone else attempting to project themselves as one would be overwhelmed by the strength of the ruling Mahayuti.

Noting that some former corporators consider themselves "owners" of their wards, he appealed to endorse the "service-first" attitude, focusing on future-oriented development rather than territorial control.