Civic body ups pressure on contractors for better roads

Routinely slammed for the poor quality of roads in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to make contractors more accountable by increasing the defect liability period (DLP).

Routinely slammed for the poor quality of roads in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to make contractors more accountable by increasing the defect liability period (DLP).

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The DLP is a guarantee period for which a contractor has to maintain the road he has built. If the road develops potholes or rough patches during this time, the contractor has to repair it at his own cost. The BMC hopes increasing the DLP will ensure contractors will do a good job to avoid the cost of repairs.

The BMC has increased the DLP for a concrete road from five years to 15 and that for asphalt roads from three years to five.

“Contractors who are willing to construct asphalt roads will have a tough time because asphalt roads are more prone to damage and in the five-year period there will be times when the road will need to be repaired,” a senior civic official said, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

He said all the utilities, except water pipelines and sewage and storm water drainage lines, will be shifted into a common duct.

Gupta added that the contractor, who builds a particular road, will carry out trenching on the road, whenever needed, until the DLP lapses.

The city has a 1,900-km road network. More than 500 km of this is made of concrete.