Mumbai: Potholes to be filled by Aug 15, much before Ganeshotsav, says BMC

With more than 1,200 potholes reported in less than a month since the monsoon set in, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has promised that roads will be repaired by August 15, well before Ganeshotsav.

With more than 1,200 potholes reported in less than a month since the monsoon set in, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has promised that roads will be repaired by August 15, well before Ganeshotsav.

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The civic body announced this in a joint meeting with Ganpati mandal associations and various departments. As many as 1,201 potholes have been reported on the online tracking system, www.voiceofcitizen.com, this month. However, citizens complain the actual numbers are much higher.

Worried that bad roads will damage the Ganesh idols while they are being transported, the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti (BSGSS), an umbrella body of all Ganpati mandals in the city, met civic officials asking for the roads to be repaired before the festival begins on September 17.

“Transporting idols on pothole-riddled roads is a problem — idols get damaged at the slightest jolt. So we have asked the BMC to repair all potholes by August 15 around the time idols are being transported from workshops to pandals,” said Naresh Dahibavkar, the president of the association.

Discussion on pandals creating traffic problems were also raised in the meeting. Dahibavkar said, “We assure that no inconvenience will be caused to the citizens owing to the pandals. We have requested for a meeting with the police and traffic department for the same.”

Of the 1,201 potholes that have been reported, about 720 have been filled, claimed the BMC. Last year, 747 potholes were reported around this time. Civic officials have blamed the heavy rainfall in the beginning of the season for high number of potholes.