Improper laying of paver blocks:
For a pavement made with paver blocks, it is necessary that the surface below the block and on the sides is properly laid. The material used below the surface, such as earth, sand and lean concrete, determine its stability. Also, as the blocks have an irregular shape, the sides need to be filled with concrete so that they do not shift and are stable. Often, however, this is not done.
Improper compaction or reinstatement of utility trenches:
When a paver block pavement is dug to repair underground utilities, the reinstatement is done in a haphazard manner, thereby having an adverse effect on the stability of the paver blocks.
Rat nuisance:
When the surface below a paver block is filled with earth rather than sand, rats easily burrow through it. As a result, some paver blocks sink and the entire pavement gets affected.
Hawkers:
Most hawkers, who put up food stalls on pavements, cook and even wash utensils on the road. When the water seeps through the sides, the earth and sand are washed away with the result being that the blocks once again become unstable.
Hotels/tea stalls:
The BMC has not only ignored but also provided connections for taps, on pavements laid with paver blocks, to small hotels/tea stalls. The result is that the block support beneath the surface erodes. It has also not insisted on a rigid base such as lean concrete to ensure stability.
Washing of cars:
At numerous places, the committee found that cars parked on pavements are also washed there. Here again, the water ensures leaking of the earth below the surface and damages the pavement.
Underground leakage of water:
Leaking from water pipes underground often goes undetected with the result that they are unattended for a long period. This affects the stability of the paver blocks.
Erection of pandals and display boards: When bamboos are erected for pandals and display boards, they are to be put in earth-filled drums so that roads and pavements are not dug up. This is the BMC’s requirement, which it never insists upon. The result is that paver blocks are often dug to erect the bamboos.
Lack of restrain around manholes and tree guards:
The edges of paver blocks around manholes and tree guards are never properly filled with concrete, rather this is done with earth. When the earth becomes loose, the paver blocks too shift.
Adjoining excavations and digging:
With several road projects being undertaken in the city, care is not taken to see that the paver blocks are not disturbed. At Malad, the committee found that while work was being carried out on a flyover, several paver blocks of an adjoining pavement had been removed and the earth that had been laid to fix them had sunk, affecting the entire pavement.