Mumbai’s roads have once again become a cruel joke at the expense of its residents. With massive sections dug up and shoddy patchwork repairs barely holding up, navigating the city has turned into an endurance test. Despite repeated assurances from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) about road improvement projects, the ground reality remains as bumpy as ever.
Mumbai’s frustrated citizens have long vented their ire, but comedian Rohan Joshi took it up a notch and slammed the BMC and Maharashtra government. In a blistering Instagram post, Joshi accused authorities of bleeding taxpayers dry while leaving the city’s infrastructure in shambles.
“Just give us a figure! I don’t care how high it is. Tell us the amount you need to finally be satisfied and stop looting Mumbai’s taxpayers,” he wrote. Joshi added that he would even organise a donation drive if it meant getting the roads fixed once and for all.
Comparing Mumbai’s road crisis to historic tragedies, Joshi remarked that even gangsters and terrorists attack and leave, whereas the government wages a relentless, daily war on citizens through sheer mismanagement. “At least with them, we can say they came from outside. We elected you. And yet. You guys are legit attacking us daily, going to war with us on our daily commutes and killing people fast and slow every day,” he lashed out.
The post quickly gained traction, with fellow city dwellers and influencers echoing the sentiment. Kusha Kapila quipped, “Sudden 50 percent increase in rent in a house with no balcony and a dug-up road outside…Monthy ask is potential first born’s three years school fees. If balcony exists, then lifetime school fees.” Stand-up comic Abhishek Upmanyu added, “I moved from Chandigarh and Delhi and pay four times the rent for this.”
In its budget unveiled last month, the BMC earmarked a hefty Rs 5,100 crore for roads and traffic management, with Rs 3,111.07 crore specifically dedicated to the grand promise of a pothole-free Mumbai. However, despite issuing work orders for road concretisation two years ago, progress has been sluggish. Fresh data from the civic budget revealed that only 26% of the total work has been completed so far, The Indian Express reported.
As social media erupts with frustration, one question remains—when will Mumbai’s roads stop being a punchline?