‘Sub-standard work causes roads to cave in, not leaking drains’

The observations of an experts’ panel on road cave-ins are likely to kick up a controversy in the civic body.

The observations of an experts’ panel on road cave-ins are likely to kick up a controversy in the civic body.

HT Image

The panel has found that roads collapse not because of leakages in the storm water drains, but because of the work being carried out by the contractors.

The Bombay High Court-appointed Standing Technical Advisory Committee, a monitoring body, inspected the city roads on Thursday.

The six-member committee visited Peddar Road, Jacob Circle at Mahalaxmi and the junction outside Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar were roads have collapsed in the past.

“We have observed that the reason for these cave-in are sub standard subsurface designing of drains and not due to leaking storm water lines,” said a committee member, requesting anonymity for lack of authorisation to speak to the media.

He explained that the private contractors who lay these drains often don’t follow the guidelines and due to their sub-standard work the sand under the road dissolves leading to the road collapsing.

Chief Engineer (Roads) Sridhar Joshi said: “We were compiling the inspection report and will submit it to the municipal commissioner tomorrow.”

In September 2008, three people were killed when part of the road at Jacob Circle caved in. Six months later, the same spot caved in but no one was injured.

There have been at least four incidents of cave-ins at Peddar Road along the same 240-m stretch. Later the civic body replaced the century-old, damaged sewer line and storm water drain.

“The investigation report submitted to the corporation should be taken more seriously and not be dumped until a new cavity surfaces,” added the committee member.

He added that serious attention should be paid on the wear and tear of roads in a heavy traffic city like Mumbai and there should be periodic assessments of the condition of major roads.