Mumbai roads: The hole truth

Rs 40 crore. That’s what the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will spend on filling potholes that have developed on roads across the city within a month of the monsoon setting in. Among these roads are arterial ones like LBS Marg, which connects Sion to Mulund.

Rs 40 crore. That’s what the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will spend on filling potholes that have developed on roads across the city within a month of the monsoon setting in. Among these roads are arterial ones like LBS Marg, which connects Sion to Mulund.

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The BMC spent Rs 9 crore to make Mumbai’s roads monsoon ready. However, all it took was a few wet spells to undo all the work.

Most of Mumbai’s busiest roads are pothole hidden. These include Napean Sea Road, Nana Chowk Junction, E Moses Road and Juhu Circle Road.

From its 24 wards, the BMC has been flooded by complaints about roads from 17. Since July 1, the BMC has logged more than 70 complaints about bad patches from its jurisdiction’s southern tip, Colaba, to its northern end, Mulund. BMC officials, however, claimed that there are fewer potholes this year than in previous years.

“Pothole filling work is on. We have kept aside Rs 40 crore to repair bad patches,” said A V Ralkar, chief engineer (roads). Ward offices have appointed contractors and all roads will get repaired. Till last year, the BMC would appoint one set of contractors to repair major roads and another set for smaller roads and lanes.

After missing several deadlines to fill potholes, the BMC is scurrying to put in place last minute patchwork. Ralkar said all potholes would be filled as soon as possible and once again before the Ganesh festival begins in September.

“It gets worse every year. Not only roads, even flyovers have potholes,” said Manoj Sen, a Kandivli resident.