BMC assigns deputy engineers in 227 wards to rid the city of potholes

Bangar said that deputy engineers needed to be vigilant and take swift action, particularly in areas prone to heavy rains

Mumbai: In a decisive move towards pothole-free roads, the BMC has assigned deputy engineers across its 227 wards to conduct daily inspection of their respective area to proactively identify and fill potholes before they grow larger and complaints are filed.

Pune, India - July 24, 2023: Potholes seen near Onkareshwar temple in Pune, India, on Monday, July 24, 2023. (Photo by Kalpesh Nukte/HT PHOTO)

“The objective is clear: pothole-free roads for Mumbai’s citizens. Any evidence of road degradation will be met with stringent action,” said civic chief administrator Bhushan Gagrani, during a key strategy meeting at the BMC headquarters held on June 9 with officials from the roads and traffic department, including additional municipal commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar.

Bangar said that the pothole-repair contractors had already been appointed, and added that each deputy engineer would be responsible for maintaining 10 km to 15 km of roads. He said, “Monitoring from the office is not acceptable,” and added that engineers should monitor the roads in a hands-on manner, ideally inspecting them every other day using two-wheelers in vulnerable stretches.

Bangar said that deputy engineers needed to be vigilant and take swift action, particularly in areas prone to heavy rains. He highlighted the BMC’s ongoing road concretisation efforts that have reduced the frequency and severity of potholes in recent years, and significantly brought down repair expenditures between 2023 and 2025.

To ensure uniformity and durability in repairs, specific guidelines have been issued: potholes must be filled in a square shape to ensure a smooth finish; on roads more than six meters wide, cold mix materials are prohibited because they are not long term solutions; only mastic asphalt is to be used. In some locations, geo-polymer concrete, a more lasting solution, may serve as a viable alternative.

Mastic cookers must be maintained in ready-to-use condition at the divisional level, and every contractor must have their own mastic production setup to avoid supply delays. In addition, a detailed weekly plan must be in place to confirm which mastic projects will remain operational over weekends. Assistant engineers are to coordinate with deputy engineers to ensure appropriate deployment of mastic cookers and vehicles.

As per the guidelines, all mastic cooker vehicles must be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that can be tracked via the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS). Bangar said that vehicles without the GPS systems will not be paid for any pothole work done by them.