Sion flyover to be ready by 15 July 2026; BMC sets strict deadlines

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC on Thursday directed that the reconstruction of the Sion Railway flyover be completed by July 15 2026The civic body has also ordered that no new road excavation works be taken up after 30 April with all ongoing works to be completed and roads opened to traffic by May 31 2026The instructions were issued by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide during an inspection of major infrastructure projects across the city on Thursday Additional Municipal Commissioner ProjectsAbhijit Bangar accompanied her during the visitDharavi sewage treatment plant 65 per cent completeBhide reviewed the 418 million litres per day MLD sewage treatment plant STP being constructed at Dharavi which has reached 65 per cent physical progress and is expected to be operational by July 2027The plant based on Sequential Batch Reactor SBR technology is part of seven STPs being developed across Mumbai Officials said the project is designed as a multistorey structure due to limited space and is the most spaceefficient among all upcoming facilitiesThe project includes an influent pumping station sludge treatment units tertiary treatment facilities and tunnelconnected inlet and outlet shafts The Commissioner directed officials to resolve local issues on priority to ensure timely commissioningSion flyover work faces railway delayAt the Sion EastWest Railway flyover site officials informed that girder launching has been delayed by 15 days due to railway constraints The installation earlier planned by April 30 2026 is now expected by 15 May 2026Despite the setback Bhide directed agencies to accelerate remaining work and ensure both girders are installed by May 31 2026 She also instructed the BMC Bridge Department and Railway authorities to maintain coordination to ensure full project completion by July 15 2026Road concretisation works under strict timelineUnder Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the road cement concretisation project 1736 roads spanning 49683 km have been completed as of April 13 2026During the inspection in Sion East the Commissioner reviewed work on Road Number 27 and footpath development on Road Number 25C stressing the need for quality controlShe reiterated that no new excavation should be undertaken after April 30 2026 all concreting must be completed by 15 May and all roads must be opened to traffic by 31 May 2026Chunabhatti flood prevention system reviewedBhide also inspected flood prevention measures at Chunabhatti Railway Station where waterlogging had been reported in 2024 Officials said that preventive measures introduced in 2025 had largely prevented flooding during the monsoon except for a brief incident on August 19 2025The existing system channels rainwater from lowlying areas into the Somaiya nullah and stores railwayside runoff before discharging it into the stormwater network connected to Duncan nullahThe Commissioner directed officials to improve system efficiency and examine a proposal to lay pipelines from railwayside storage tanks to enhance drainage capacityMini pumping station to be upgradedA mini pumping station near Chunabhatti railway station was also inspected The facility currently pumps water from Duncan nullah with plans to extend a 700metre rising main pipeline up to Rahul Nagar nullah to reduce water accumulation in the areaBhide asked officials to assess the feasibility and ensure transparency and quality in desilting operations