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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

BMC plans parking curbs in narrow lanes

Mumbai: Amid mounting concerns over delayed emergency response in congested neighbourhoods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to enforce parking restrictions in several narrow lanes across the city, where indiscriminate on-street parking has increasingly emerged as a critical civic hazard. The move, expected to be implemented soon, is aimed at ensuring unobstructed access for fire engines and ambulances in densely populated pockets where even minor delays can have...

BMC plans parking curbs in narrow lanes

Mumbai: Amid mounting concerns over delayed emergency response in congested neighbourhoods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to enforce parking restrictions in several narrow lanes across the city, where indiscriminate on-street parking has increasingly emerged as a critical civic hazard. The move, expected to be implemented soon, is aimed at ensuring unobstructed access for fire engines and ambulances in densely populated pockets where even minor delays can have life-threatening consequences. “Illegal parking is not merely a compliance issue; it reflects the structural gap between the rapid growth in vehicle ownership and the limited parking infrastructure available in our cities,” said Prashant Sharma, President of NAREDCO Maharashtra. “As urban centres continue to densify, there is a pressing need to integrate well-planned and technologically enabled parking solutions within city planning as well as new real estate developments. Adequate parking infrastructure will play a crucial role in ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving overall urban mobility,” he added. Highlighting the urgency for scalable interventions, Ashish Majithia, Founder and CEO of Nextkraft Parking Technologies, said, “Mumbai’s parking crisis, especially in older and congested localities, underscores the need for innovative approaches such as automated and multi-level parking systems. Automated or mechanised parking should be installed at every public parking spot, which can significantly increase capacity, reduce dependence on on-street parking and ensure that critical access routes remain unobstructed. Alongside regulatory measures, adopting vertical parking infrastructure will be the key to building safer and more efficient cities.” The civic concern is particularly acute in older parts of South and Central Mumbai, including Chandanwadi, Girgaon, Kalbadevi, Gaondevi, Tardeo, Mumbai Central, Nagpada, Agripada and Byculla, where over 240 narrow lanes have been identified. Civic assessments indicate that nearly 35 to 40 of these are so constricted that only a single vehicle can pass at a time, making them highly vulnerable during emergencies when every second is critical. Commercial Zones The situation is further exacerbated in high-density commercial zones such as Zaveri Bazaar and Kalbadevi, where wholesale trade activity leads to persistent vehicular congestion. Authorities warn that in the event of fires or medical emergencies, blocked access routes could result in severe loss of life and property, underlining the gravity of the issue as more than just a traffic inconvenience. According to civic officials, proposed measures include introducing odd-even parking systems in select lanes and declaring complete no-parking zones in others, coupled with stricter enforcement against violators. However, residents and business owners have raised concerns over the absence of adequate alternative parking infrastructure, arguing that enforcement without viable substitutes could shift the burden rather than resolve the problem. As Mumbai continues to grapple with rising vehicle ownership and shrinking urban space, the proposed restrictions bring into sharp focus a deeper civic challenge, balancing immediate regulatory action with long-term infrastructure planning. Experts maintain that unless supported by systematic investments in organised, high-capacity parking solutions, the city’s emergency access bottlenecks may persist despite stricter rules.

The AKKA Budget

Nirmala Sitharaman opts for steadiness, backing manufacturing and infrastructure over headline-grabbing reform

Mumbai: The Union Budget, often tracked for bold announcements, strikes a steadier tone this year. Amid global uncertainty, it avoids dramatic policy shifts, favouring a measured path. Manufacturing and MSMEs remain at the core, with tourism, healthcare, and IT services positioned as growth drivers. True to its deregulation tradition, the government has opted for caution, carefully balancing fiscal priorities. Alongside industry, renewed emphasis on cultural heritage and medical tourism rounds out a balanced growth agenda.


As front loaded strategy Capex is expected to close at Rs. 10.95 trillion in current year and increases by 11 percent to Rs. 12.21 trillion next year. Railways, roadways, and defence together account for nearly two-thirds of the allocation. Grants-in-aid for capital asset creation have jumped from Rs. 3.08 trillion to Rs.4.92 trillion, largely benefiting states and reinforcing cooperative federalism. This underscores the strategy of driving productivity through renewed infrastructure.


Focus on MSMEs continues with launch a Rs. 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, while the Self-Reliant India Fund will receive an additional Rs. 2,000 crore. Over Rs. 7 trillion will be made available through TREDS to ease liquidity stress. The government will enable professional institutes to create short-term courses for training ‘Corporate Mitras’ in Tier-II and Tier-III towns to support MSMEs with affordable compliance solutions.


On manufacturing front, the Rs. 10,000 crore Biopharma SHAKTI initiative will position India as a hub for biologics and biosimilars over next five years. Semiconductor Mission 2.0 expands into equipment, materials, and full-stack IP with industry-led R&D and training centres, while the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme has grown to Rs. 40,000 crore after surpassing targets.


Rare Earth Corridors and three new Chemical Parks will cut import dependence, complemented by Hi-Tech Tool Rooms, advanced construction equipment schemes, and a Rs.10,000 crore container manufacturing programme to strengthen logistics. Customs duty exemptions remain a lever, continuing for rare earth processing, battery manufacturing, and energy storage systems, with nuclear power project emptions extended till 2035 to reinforce clean energy growth.


Rural Prosperity

Targeting rural prosperity, the centre will develop 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to boost fisheries and promote animal husbandry for quality jobs. Coconut Promotion Scheme will benefit 30 million people, alongside cashew and cocoa programmes aiming for self-reliance by 2030. Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI advisory, will support smarter farming, while SHE-Marts will help rural women shift from credit-based livelihoods to business ownership.


Considering healthcare as a core of growth measures have taken to train and add 1 lakh Allied Health Professionals, train 1.5 lakh caregivers, and invest in Ayurveda, mental health, and medical tourism. Five Regional Medical Hubs will integrate healthcare, education, research, AYUSH centres, and tourism to drive jobs and value-based care. Traditional medicine will be strengthened through three new Ayurveda institutes, upgraded labs, and an expanded WHO Centre in Jamnagar to boost certification, research, and exports.


A High-Level standing Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat will review the banking sector. Public sector NBFCs like PFC and REC will be restructured to improve efficiency. The hike in STT on futures and options has unsettled equity markets, but it comes against SEBI’s finding that 97 percent of traders lose money in F&O. The move signals the government’s intent to caution retail investors against excessive speculation in this segment.


The textile industry, hit by US tariffs, gets a major boost through support for natural and new-age fibres, cluster modernisation, and integrated backing for handloom and handicrafts. The Tex-Eco Initiative drives sustainability, while Samarth 2.0 enhances skilling through industry-academia partnerships. Mega Textile Parks will advance technical textiles, and the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj programme will strengthen khadi, handloom, and rural crafts, linking them to global markets and empowering artisans and rural youth.


Logistical connectivity is boosted with declaration of new east west Dedicated Freight Corridors, and 20 National Waterways to be operationalised over five years. Regional Centres of Excellence will train youth along these routes, while ship repair hubs in Varanasi and Patna will support maritime infrastructure.


Nirmala Sitharaman is fondly known as ‘Akka’ (elder sister) in her inner circles. While presenting her record ninth consecutive budget she has ensured that the acronym ‘Akka’ stood true. Here is the ‘Akka’ stands for her trust on the key areas – Ayush, Kartaya (duty), Kisan (farmer) and Avsar (opportunities).   


Record for Nirmala

Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday made history as she presented a record ninth consecutive Budget. This took her closer to the record of 10 budgets that were presented by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai over different time periods. Desai presented six budgets during his tenure as finance minister from 1959 to 1964, and four budgets between 1967 and 1969. Former finance ministers P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee had presented nine and eight budgets, respectively, under different prime ministers. Sitharaman, however, will continue to hold the record of presenting the maximum number of budgets on the trot -- nine straight budgets under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

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