Ghodbunder residents’ ultimatum elicits 2-day road repair promise

Residents of the area said potholes and damaged stretches on Ghodbunder Road cause frequent accidents and health problems for motorists

Thane: The public works department (PWD) on Tuesday promised to repair damaged stretches on Ghodbunder Road in Thane within two days after residents issued an ultimatum, saying they would stage a protest by sitting in the damaged patches if repairs were not undertaken on an urgent basis.

Two-wheelers have a tough time negotiating damaged patches and many motorists fall off and get injured (Praful Gangurde /HT Photo)

“We will repair the bad patches within the next two days. We are starting repair work early this time, in preparation for the monsoon.” Sunil Patil, executive engineer, PWD, Ghodbunder area, told Hindustan Times.

Residents of the area said potholes and damaged stretches on Ghodbunder Road cause frequent accidents and health problems for motorists. Since service roads are unusable due to Metro work, all the traffic is forced on to the main highway, said Girish Patil, a resident of Kasarvadavali in the Ghodbunder area.

“There are 2-3 patches near my home which are so bad that two-wheelers have a tough time negotiating them. I have seen many motorists falling off and getting injured right in front of me,” said Patil.

“I have been suffering from severe back pain since the fall,” said Thakkar. Damaged stretches occur every few meters on the road, which affect two-wheeler riders the most, he said.

Patil, Thakkar and other residents said while they had been sending photos of damaged patches to PWD officials for months, they always wait till a week to 10 days before the monsoon to carry out repairs.

“Why should we wait until the monsoon for repairs? Why can’t the authorities maintain the road throughout the year when they know the traffic volume is so high,” asked Mira Dalvi, a resident of Ghodbunder area.

Traffic police officers stationed on Ghodbunder Road said they had witnessed several accidents on account of the bad road.

“The road is uneven at many places, which makes two-wheelers jolt ahead. Pillion riders are the most vulnerable and they suffer the most in case of accidents,” said an officer.

PWD executive engineer Sunil Patil said a meeting with the traffic police is scheduled soon and trials for comprehensive repair would be conducted on Saturday.

“Our aim is to ensure that residents do not face any further trouble,” he said.