Mumbai: Recent incidents along Mumbai’s coastal road have raised concerns about copper theft, affecting both public infrastructure and commuter safety. Over the past few months, thieves have been excavating concrete roads to extract valuable copper cables.
The BMC has lodged complaints in six separate cases of such thefts. Despite patrolling by traffic police and coastal civic officials, authorities are finding it challenging to apprehend the culprits.
The 10.58 km Coastal Road, stretching from the Princess Street Flyover at Marine Drive to Worli end of Bandra-Worli Sea Link, has been a significant relief for commuters, allowing them to travel from South Mumbai to Worli in just 8 minutes.
However, the road is facing several challenges, including speeding cars, which have led to accidents. Recently, the civic body is also grappling with the issue of unknown thieves targeting and stealing their cables, further complicating the situation.
A senior civic official stated, “In the last two months, unknown thieves have dug up areas near the Love Grove Bridge, Haji Ali Junction, and the main coastal road, particularly targeting concrete roads at midnight to steal copper, which is valuable in the market. These thefts have also led to the malfunctioning of street lights. Since the road is open and easily accessible, the thieves manage to escape without much difficulty. These incidents continue despite regular patrols by the Mumbai Traffic Police and our team on the coastal road.”
The BMC has allocated Rs. 8 crores for the installation of advanced cameras to monitor speeding vehicles. Additionally, the civic body has identified three key locations for police and traffic chowkies: at Love Grove Flyover, near Tata Garden, and at the Worli car parking area. “Police staff will be stationed at these locations 24/7 to ensure law and order on the Coastal Road,” said a civic official.
After visuals of patchwork inside the Mumbai Coastal Road Project’s twin tunnels got viral on social media, the BMC clarified on Thursday that the minor surface repairs were carried out as part of routine maintenance, with plans to paint the restored sections.
While the civic body emphasised that these repairs were precautionary, citizens raised concerns, questioning the need for repairs within a year of the tunnels’ opening. Addressing the issue on X, the BMC stated that with the surface repair work now completed, the patched areas would be painted once they have dried, in line with the approved methodology.
