BMC brings in unique number to ensure transparency in road repairs

In the last meeting, the members gave an ultimatum, warning Mehta to fix potholes or face a no-confidence motion in the BMC

Criticised from all quarters over potholes in the city, civic chief Ajoy Mehta on Wednesday announced a slew of measures such as unique identification number for contractors to keep track of the work being done by them, the action taken against shoddy work and intimation given to them to bring in transparency in road repairs.

“After facing flak for the misguiding pothole count, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will discontinue the practice and concentrate on the quality of roads. The number of potholes in the city doesn’t give the real picture. There may be no potholes on roads, but that does not mean the ride will be smoother for motorists,” said Mehta, at the standing committee meeting on Wednesday.

In the last meeting, the members gave an ultimatum, warning Mehta to fix potholes or face a no-confidence motion in the BMC.

The Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the apex body of highway engineers, has listed four parameters. If the payment quality index is less than 40%, the roads will have to be re-laid.

The BMC has also asked the Central Road Research Institute, a premier national laboratory for road transport infrastructure and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, to help them with pothole-filling material that will not get washed away with first showers. It will be used in the next monsoon.

Mehta has ordered all deputy municipal commissioners to take strict action against the contractors for not filling potholes that fall under the defect liability period (DLP). He has asked deputy commissioners to get roads from where there are constant complaints repaired by the internal BMC staff and collect the expense from contractors’ deposits.

After being questioned about the permission to dig trenches in the city, Mehta clarified the agencies need to seek permission before August. If any agency approaches them for trenching work after August or in October, the civic body will levy heavy penalty.

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Total number of Roads in the city: 3983

DLP: 1184 roads i.e. 22%