BMC gets 81 pothole complaints in June

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received 81 complaints about potholes since June 1 – over three a day – via its Facebook page, mobile application MCGM 24x7, and toll-free number 1916.

Of the 81 complaints, 29 were from in P-North ward (Malad) and 27 were from K-West ward, which includes Juhu, Andheri (West) and Vile Parle (West). The civic body also received 12 pothole-related complaints from Walkeshwar, Tardeo and Girgaum in south Mumbai. BMC officials said that they will act on these complaints during dry spells.

A civic official said the number of complaints is expected to increase over the weekend as the monsoon begins in earnest. He added that the BMC expects to receive complaints about more than 2,000 potholes this year.

The MCGM 24x7 app – available for Android and iPhone – lets users not only report potholes but also upload pictures of them. The pictures are automatically sent to the ward concerned using location data. BMC officials are supposed to act on complaints within 48 hours. Users can check the status of their complaints using the complaint number or on app itself.

Thanks to the road repairs scam, in which six contractors, two third-party auditors and senior civic officials have been indicted, the BMC struggled to find a contractor willing to repair potholes during the monsoon. It received only one response, from a company that quoted a price 45% higher than the BMC’s estimate. The civic body eventually settled on using the same contractors it had appointed for pre-monsoon road repairs and restoration.

On Wednesday, the Bombay high court had ordered the BMC to repair all roads in the city by July 8, reiterating that civic officials are “under an obligation to do so”.