| Digging up city roads adds to traffic mess |
| Constant digging of the roads due to various reasons has increased the traffic problems in the city
All through the monsoon season the city battled with the pothole filled roads and now Mumbaikars seem to be battling with the digging up of the roads in major parts of the city. According to the list of roads works undertaken by the BMC and MMRDA (the copy of which is with this newspaper), around 21 roads in the city are under repairs which are being done by the MMRDA. Meanwhile, 93 roads have been under construction, with the widening and concretisation work being done by the BMC. Over 700 proposals seeking permission for digging up roads are received by the Mumbai traffic police in a year, from public and private utilities, including BMC, Mahanagar Gas and MTNL. The constant digging up of the roads has increased the traffic problems in the city. Interestingly, most of the roads in the south Mumbai’s CST and Churchgate area seem to have been dug up by the BMC and traffic has simply gone berserk. The BMC’s repair work at places like Modi Street, Mumbai Samachar Marg, Veer Nariman Road, Walchand Hirachand Road, Mahapalika Marg, Nathalal Parekh Marg from Regal Junction to Madam Cama Road seems to be giving a tough time to the traffic cops posted on duty on these roads. The situation is worse in the suburbs too, especially at Carter Road, Kalina-Kurla Road from CST Junction to Kalina Church Road in Santacruz, Mulund-Goregaon Link Road from LBS Marg to railway-over-bridge in Mulund. Recently, in an affidavit submitted before the Bombay High Court, which is hearing a PIL on the condition of roads, the Traffic Police Chief had now presented some solutions for better road maintenance. The traffic police have recommended a computerised map for utilities of the roads, using trench-less technology and punishing the errant contractors. Vasant Gosavi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said, “In the affidavit filed, despite our advice to various agencies to undertake project in phases and thus avoid bottlenecks, these agencies dig up the roads and leave them unattended or fill them half-way. The tarring work happens in the daytime giving no time for curing process and so potholes emerge within a day or two. Since the roads are given to different contractors, junctions of arterial roads are left out.” Meanwhile, the BMC is exploring newer technologies for its roads, and is experimenting with a water-based asphalt technology claimed to be capable of outperforming asphalt products used earlier on the roads. The new product named ‘Carboncor’ is a cold mix product that can be used for all road surfacing, re-surfacing, pothole repairs and road maintenance. List of roads under repairs: ‘A’ Ward ‘C’ Ward ‘D’ Ward ‘E’ Ward ‘F/N’ Ward ‘G/N’ Ward
|