A total of 25 tenders have been floated for various beautification works in the western suburbs under Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s deep cleaning drive ahead of the municipal elections, which involve kerbstone painting, applying thermoplastic paint on zebra crossings, and footpath improvement. Works have been planned in Andheri, Lokhandwala, and Malad.
The latest batch of tenders for the drive has been floated by the K West ward, which includes 10 tenders, each in the range of Rs 20 lakh, for carrying out thermoplastic painting of kerbstones in Lokhandwala. Similarly, the BMC’s P North ward had floated tenders in the middle of October for works related to cosmetic repair of public places such as roads, footpaths, kerbsides, and road medians, under the heading of ‘Deep Cleaning of Mumbai’.
The drive was launched in Mumbai by Shinde on December 3, 2023, to improve its air quality after the festive season, amid construction debris and garbage piling on roads, and footpath encroachment.
Limited scope
Meanwhile, BMC’s plan to create uniform street architecture along the Western Express Highway will now include only tree plantations along the median of the stretch. The project will be undertaken through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. A senior civic official said, “We were informed that work such as footpath improvement and painting of kerbstones could not be done by companies under CSR. They are qualified only to carry out plantation work. The partnership will include improving the look of WEH with uniform planters along its median, and the footpath side of the carriageway wherever it is applicable.”
