The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved a new trenching policy aimed at reducing repeated excavation of city roads for laying and repairing utility lines, while improving accountability for road restoration. The policy was approved by municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide this week and is expected to be placed before the civic general body in the coming days.
Under the revised policy, utility agencies will be permitted to undertake the reinstatement of roads after completing trenching work instead of depending entirely on BMC-appointed contractors. A single-window system has also been developed for granting, monitoring and managing trench permissions. Excavation will be permitted only during two designated windows each year, with utility agencies required to submit applications sufficiently in advance.
The policy seeks to minimise repeated excavation by making utility ducts mandatory for specified services. Where trenching extends beyond 50 metres, a utility duct will have to be installed. Telecom lines and low-tension electrical lines below 100 mm will be required to be laid through ducts. MGL’s piped gas lines and high-tension electrical lines may be permitted separately as these cannot be accommodated within standard ducts.
Where a suitable duct is not already available, the concerned utility agency will be responsible for constructing it. If the agency fails to do so, the BMC may undertake the construction. Once a duct has been installed for a specified utility, further trenching for the same service will not be permitted.
The policy also provides for stricter action against defects in reinstated roads. Agencies will be required to rectify identified defects within 48 hours. If the defects are not addressed within the stipulated period, the BMC may undertake the repair work itself. Further action could include blacklisting the concerned agency for one year and withholding its pending trench permissions.
At the same time, reinstatement charges have been reduced substantially. Charges for cement-concrete roads are proposed to be lowered by around 65%, while those for non-cement roads are expected to fall by approximately 35%. The revised charges are intended to bring the BMC’s rates closer to those followed by other municipalities.
The policy also proposes tougher penalties for unauthorised excavation. Illegal trenching will attract a penalty of five times the applicable charges, compared with twice the charges under the earlier system.
The provision allowing utility agencies to undertake road reinstatement has raised concerns among civic observers over quality control and accountability. It has been argued that responsibility could become difficult to establish if agencies fail to meet prescribed restoration standards, while the need for public consultation before approval has also been raised.
Representatives of utility agencies have viewed the provision more positively, with the sector maintaining that direct responsibility for reinstatement could improve accountability. The earlier system was considered to have allowed responsibility for poor restoration to be passed between utility agencies and the BMC. Under the new framework, agencies are expected to have greater responsibility for ensuring that roads are restored according to required standards.