Cities overnight Do not emerge. There are many years of hard work, study and sacrifice behind it. The metropolis of Mumbai also emerged in this way. The late poet Narayan Surve says, ‘Ala to Ramla came to Mumbai.’ This is the secret of the nature of Mumbai and Mumbaikars. It is a metropolis that provides employment to crores of hands. Students, traders, entrepreneurs, artists, investors from all over the world come to this metropolis. The ‘Local Self-Government’ that caters to the civic needs of such a metropolis is ‘Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’ i.e. ‘BMC’.

About one and a half hundred years ago, on 4th September 1873, the first meeting of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was held. This year, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is also completing 151 years. This city with an area of ​​approximately 483 square kilometers has been transformed into a cosmopolitan city in the last 150 years. The foundation stone of the present Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters building was laid on December 19, 1884. Along with Municipal Corporation, Municipal Secretary and Standing Committee departments have also completed 151 years. While keeping complete records of all the happenings in the city, the secretary department of the Municipal Corporation has also preserved many historical documents, important decisions, meeting minutes.

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Construction of the headquarters building in the ‘Indo Sarasian’ architectural style began on 25 April 1889. The building was constructed on a 6,600.65 square meter land obtained from the Public Works Department of the then Government of Mumbai. The concept for it was the famous architect S. W. Created by Stevens. The construction was completed on July 31, 1893. When Thomas Blaney was president, Harry A. Akworth Commissioner, while Rao Bahadur Sitaram Khanderao was the Resident Engineer of the Works Department. The construction contract was taken by Venku Balaji, a close associate of Mahatma Phule. A high ideal was created by completing the construction of the building in less time than estimated and at less cost. The 235 feet tall minaret of this building is the symbol of this metropolis which is the leading city of India (Urbs Prima In Indis).

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is one of the leading local self-government bodies in the country providing basic amenities to the city covering an area of ​​483 square kilometers and catering to the civic needs of over one and a half crore people.

In these 151 years, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation experienced many transitions. Faced many challenges. Even the peaks of success were trampled. The Municipal Corporation is working towards a clean, green, pollution free and dynamic Mumbai. Roads, rainwater channels, bridges, water supply, education, solid waste management, parks, firefighting, health, hospitals, disaster management, etc. The municipal budget for this year (2024-25) is Rs 59 thousand 954 crores. The municipality has successfully implemented some pilot projects through self-funding. In one and a half hundred years, the Municipal Corporation has crossed many milestones. In 1964, the central administrative system of the municipality was restructured. Accordingly, entire Mumbai was divided into 24 divisions with seven administrative circles.

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The municipal administration provides services in various sectors such as engineering services, health, water supply, education, solid waste management, sewage disposal, disaster management, parks, recreation etc. Raje Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM Hospital) and Seth Go. Sum. Medical College, Ba. Y. L. Nair Charitable Hospital and Topiwala National Medical College, Nair Hospital Dental College, Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital and Medical College (SHIV), Hindu Hrudayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College and Dr. Rs. No. Cooper Hospital, along with major hospitals, suburban hospitals, specialty hospitals, clinics, provide services to patients from all over the country including Mumbai.

Around 6500 tonnes of urban solid waste is collected by the Municipal Corporation every day. Out of which 5900 tonnes of waste is scientifically disposed at Kanjoor Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Project. About 600 tonnes of waste is dumped in the Deonar landfill every day. The project of power generation by processing it is in progress. The project is expected to be operational by October 2025 and generate around 4 MW per day.

Mumbai is supplied with water from seven reservoirs namely Vihar, Tulsi, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitrana, Hindu Hrudayasmrat Balasaheb Thackeray Middle Vaitrana and Bhatsa. Vihar (90 million litres), Tulsi (18 million litres), Tansa (500 million litres), Modak Sagar (Vaitrana) (455 million litres), Urdhva Vaitrana (635 million litres), Hindu Hrudayasmarat Balasaheb Thackeray Madhya Vaitrana (455 million litres) and Bhatsa (2020 million litres) supply 4173 million liters of water per day through seven water sources. This water is transported to purification centers at Panjrapur and Bhandup through aqueducts and tunnels of 2235 mm to 5500 mm diameter for purification. There it is processed.

The Municipal Corporation has constructed bridges at various places. Bridges Department plans, constructs and maintains all bridges related to the Municipal Corporation. At present there are a total of 287 bridges across Nalas or rivers in the metropolis. Also, there are 43 bridges on railways and railways. Along with this, the city has 54 flyovers. There are 95 pedestrian bridges, 22 skywalks and 20 subways.

The education department has also scaled many peaks. In the academic year 2024-25, a total of 260,000 students are studying in the municipal schools. In the municipal schools, education is imparted in eight languages ​​namely Marathi, Hindi, English, Gujarati, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Today, the students who studied in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation schools have reached across the seven seas. A music academy and a sports sub-department are also functioning for the holistic development of students. In the secondary school examination conducted in March 2024, out of 16 thousand 140 students of 248 secondary schools, 14 thousand 778 students have passed and the average result is 91.56 percent.

Today, domestic and international flights fly from Mumbai, which once ran horse-drawn ‘trams’. This city is becoming the center of tourism around the world. Various projects including the ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road Project, Goregaon Mulund Link Road etc. are taking shape to solve the traffic congestion problem faced by Mumbai. The city currently has 279 parks, 483 recreation grounds and 345 playgrounds. Miyawaki-style urban forests have been created at 70 locations. Together, more than four and a half lakh trees have flourished in these urban forests, in addition to which about 32 lakh trees exist in Mumbai. Mumbai has received the honor of ‘World Tree City’ for three consecutive years in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Emergency Management Department is well equipped. Helpline number 1916 is working round the clock to provide immediate assistance to the citizens. There are 30 hunting lines that citizens can interact with. Mumbai Fire Brigade currently has six divisional circles, 35 major and 19 minor fire stations. Mumbai fire brigade is equipped with latest technology. Mumbai faced many crises, but Mumbaikars and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation bravely faced those crises. During the Kovid-19 virus infection, the Municipal Corporation truly maintained the relationship of ‘mother institution’. Food was given to millions of citizens every day. Lakhs of patients were treated by setting up covid center. They were not allowed to lack medicines. In saving the lives of Mumbaikars, the administration lost 480 officers and employees. However, the administration did not waver. The Municipal Corporation also overcame this crisis after fighting for one and a half to two years. This achievement earned the municipality international accolades including the Niti Aayog, High and Supreme Courts and scholars from all over the world came to study the ‘Mumbai Model’.

‘Team BMC’ is always ready to meet any challenge. Even the last employee in the administration has as much contribution as me. This is the 151st year of my tenure as Commissioner of this Municipal Corporation, which is a matter of personal joy for me. With a population of more than one and a half crores and constantly changing, dynamic, multi-coloured features and aspects, Mumbai is truly a metropolis. I got the opportunity to work as a commissioner and administrator of this building, I am satisfied that I could experience the moment of 151 years completion.