Navi Mumbai: Even after 11 years, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) ambitious project, Airoli Auditorium, is yet to turn into a reality. According to civic officials, 65% of the work is completed so far, and it is expected to be ready by the beginning of 2026. NMMC commissioner Kailas Shinde hopes that the auditorium will be opened to the public in the next quarter, a theory which the residents are reluctant to buy. Meanwhile, it has missed several deadlines, and NMMC’s claim of opening its doors to the locals remains a distant dream.The project was in limbo for almost seven years, from 2014 to 2021, as the old consortium left the work after excavating the land for plinth work. A new agency was awarded the contract, which commenced the foundation work in late 2021, even during the Covid pandemic. The cost of the project escalated to almost double that of the initial estimation. The project cost increased substantially from Rs 38 crore in 2014, when the ground-breaking ceremony was held with much fanfare, to Rs 70.7 crore in 2021. NMMC allowed the new contractor to complete the project in 24 months — Dec 2023. The 860-seater auditorium is being constructed at Sector 5 in the Airoli node on a 1.4 lakh square feet area with provision for double basement parking to accommodate four-wheelers and two-wheelers. The earlier plan was revised to pave the way for construction by the new agency, which delayed the work, said officials. In fact, the previous contractor was blacklisted for missing the timeline in Dec 2017.A local resident, Sameer Tupe, who has been following the development closely, said, “We have been waiting for the auditorium to open for over a decade now. Administrative lapse led to unprecedented delay in the project which escalated the budget significantly. Taxpayers’ money is being wasted here as only 65% of the work is completed in 11 years. Residents are aghast over the slow pace of the work.”NMMC commissioner Shinde recently visited the work site and took stock of the progress. Shinde said, “I have instructed concerned officials to accelerate the pace of work and ensure its completion by the beginning of the new year.” Facilities include a reception room, ticket office, food counter, administrative hall, storerooms, and specialised entrances for theatrical materials.
