The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday presented a budget of over Rs 74,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26, which, according to Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, is the “biggest budget” presented by the BMC to date. The interesting highlight of this year’s budget is the proposal for an ambitious project: a giant Ferris wheel inspired by the iconic London Eye.
BMC intends to build a giant Ferris wheel, or Mumbai Eye, inspired by the 135-metre London Eye, which is located on the banks of the River Thames. The project will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the BMC said. However, no budget has been allocated for the plan yet, and BMC has yet to determine a location. The project is likely to take up two to three acres of land.
‘Mumbai Eye’ will offer a bird’s eye view of the financial capital. It is expected to feature air-conditioned, sealed passenger capsules.
The idea was first proposed in 2008 by Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar. In 2022, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) proposed a plan to construct the Mumbai Eye at the Bandra Reclamation promenade. However, the plan was put on hold after opposition from locals.
The “citizen-centric” budget is a “vision for Mumbai’s future”. “It reflects our (BMC) commitment to innovation, inclusivity and sustainability while providing the best civic services and amenities to the citizens at free or bare minimum cost and in real time,” the commissioner said.
A budget of Rs 74,427.41 crore has six pillars – fiscal discipline and sustainability; enhancement of infrastructure and services; quality education system; clean and sustainable environment; social initiatives; governance and administrative efficiency.
NDTV News-India-news