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Infrastructure – Articles

Category : Infrastructure

Topic : Mumbai Roads — Sub Topic : Filling up of potholes

—- Article :HC panel to inspect roads in Mumbai & Thane : 22 Nov 2005

—- Article :Citizens upset with Mumbai’s road : 22 Nov 2005

Mumbai Roads – Filling up of potholes

Source – TOI – 17.11.05

HC panel to check roads for potholes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: In an attempt to verify the BMC’s claims that it has filled up 90% of the city’s potholes, the Bombay high court on Wednesday appointed a two-member committee for inspection of roads in Mumbai and Thane. After hearing a public interest litigation filed by cardiologist Dr Sandip Rane, a division bench of Justices R M Lodha and D G Karnik directed the committee to submit its report by December 5. Earlier, the corporation claimed before the court that it has filled up 23,414 potholes in the city and the suburbs. The committee will comprise S P Dawre, registrar (ADR, who will survey roads in the city and suburbs, and V M Sakharkar, registrar (buildings) who will responsible for roads in Thane.
November 15 was the deadline set by the HC for the BMC, MMRDA and TMC to finish the work of filling up of potholes. Advocate K K Singhvi, counsel for the BMC, submitted a detailed affidavit on the work undertaken by the corporation. A total of 2,813 roads were taken up for repairs at the ward level as well as by the road department in the city, eastern and western suburbs. According to the BMC, around 23,414 potholes had been levelled, while 225 potholes remained to be filled. “Work on the remaining potholes would be finished by the end of this week,’’ Singhvi assured the court. The MMRDA has claimed that it had finished works on all the 16 roads, including the western and eastern highways. Advocate R S Apte, counsel for the Thane Municipal Commissioner, submitted to the court that potholes on all the 134 major roads had been completed within the deadline. “Repairs on 16 small lanes is currently on,’’ said Apte.
Despite the corporation’s claims, Dr Rane was far from convinced. “Many of the roads are still dotted with potholes posing a danger to motorists as well as commuters,’’ said Dr Rane. “The committee’s appointment will make the civic bodies more accountable as they will report back to the court on the ground reality.’’
Dr Rane had written a letter to the Chief Justice on the bad condition of roads following the July 26 deluge, which was converted into a suo motu PIL by the court.

Mumbai Roads – Filling up of potholes

Source – TOI — 17.11.05

BMC rushes to meet court deadline, but citizens upset

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Even a court order couldn’t set Mumbai’s roads right.
Last month, the Bombay high court directed both the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to fill up all potholes by November 15. However, resident associations say that quality has been given the go-by in the rush to meet the deadline. As a result, bumpy rides and accidents continue to be the order of the day.
“Despite all the criticism, the Western Express Highway has not improved,’’ says Valentine Almeida, a resident of Bandra and member of the St Sebastian Road advanced locality management group (ALM). Almeida, who commutes daily by road to the international airport where he works, says some of the patches on the highway are accident zones. “The stretch from the Vakola flyover to the Centaur Hotel end sees accidents quite regularly,’’ he says. As for internal roads, “the BMC has messed up the Rebello Road and the St John the Baptist Road’’.
The Western Express Highway is handled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Harshad More, a resident of Charkop, Kandivli, said the stretch at Goregaon has not been properly levelled. H S D’Lima, a member of Citispace, at Andheri too says the highway is in a bad shape. “Since there is no monitoring it is a waste of public money,’’ he said.
Mohan Kadam, chief engineer (roads) BMC, however, said the administration had not claimed to have filled up all the potholes. “If there are any left they should be brought to our notice and we will fill them up.’’ He said the BMC had done a good job.
Zaida Banatwala, member of the A B Nair Road ALM, said the residents’ association had offered to monitor the pothole-filling work on their stretch but no one from the local ward office bothered to inform them when the work was being done. “On Monday they were filling up the potholes on the Juhu market road during busy traffic hours. The ready mix that they were using was cold and immediately after it was laid it came off as vehicles passed over it,’’ she said. Finally, some of the residents got together and cordoned off the traffic till the work was done.
Vidya Vaidya, member of the A K Vaidya Marg Residents’ Association, Bandra, said time would soon tell the truth. “I very much doubt the filling is up to the mark,’’ she said. Adolf D’souza, general secretary, Juhu Citizens’ Welfare Group, said the potholes may have been filled but the bumpy rides continue. “The gravel is loose and very soon it will give way once again to potholes. We do not need to wait till the monsoon for it,’’ he said.
At the Marol-Maroshi Road, Sunil Nair of the Marol ALM said one half of the road had been taken up for concreting and the remaining was in a terrible condition. Sabrina Kannampali said pothole repairing work in Andheri (E) was started only a day before the deadline could expire. “Driving down these roads continues to be rife with danger,’’ she said.