BMC's road report card

With the clouds threatening to burst any time soon, MiD DAY revisits the 12 worst roads in the city to examine if repair work has been done in time for the heavy showers

The city that never sleeps has roads that never heal. Here, walking is like playing hopscotch, and driving a test of one's temper and patience, not to mention the traffic mayhem that ensues every monsoon.

Even though Rs 1,000 crore is poured into road repair work on the roads every monsoon, the cracks keep reappearing in no time, gradually widening till they assume the proportions of gaping potholes.

On April 18, 2011, MiD DAY launched its campaign against the city's most abysmal and poorly maintained roads, in the report titled '12 roads that make up one hell of a ride.'

With just days left before the downpours inundate the city streets, MiD DAY revisited the roads to inspect their condition.


R-North Ward, Dahisar (West)
Vaman Rao Bhoir Road
Scrutiny of this previously pothole-riddled stretch revealed that patch-up work has been undertaken. In its last visit to the stretch, team MiD DAY had found five gaping potholes, the widest measuring 39 inches. The road has been completely levelled using tar. The patched up portion of the road covers an area of 360x600 square inches. Team MiD DAY was rather satisfied with the quality of repair work done on the road.
Voices
"The roads have been patched up twice. Commuting is so much smoother now. I just hope that the patchwork doesn't wear off soon, like it usually does."
Rajesh Mistry, resident

"The condition of the road was deplorable even a month back. There were so many craters that it was difficult to walk in a straight line. Thankfully, it has been repaired in time for the monsoons. I hope that the repair work done stands the test of time."
Munnu Gupta, security guard


Malad-Goregaon, SV Road
The situation was quite the opposite at this crucial stretch. The gaping and hazardous pothole near the bus stop, measuring 17 inches wide and 7 inches in depth, is yet to be repaired.
Voices
"In spite of being the busiest road in the city, it is still plagued by potholes. The existing potholes show no sign of being patched up in time for the downpours. Moreover, new trenches are being dug up. Are we paying taxes so that we are on the receiving end of this kind of negligence?"
Mrigank Pandey, resident
Officialspeak
"By May 31, we will fill up all the potholes. I can only give you details about the expenditure after the work is completed."
Vijay Balamwar, assistant municipal commissioner, P- North ward

Kandivli East, R-South Ward
Thakur Village Road
After being declared the undefeated champion in the contest for Mumbai's worst roads, repair of the Thakur Village Road is finally a priority for BMC officials, who have come up with a permanent solution for the notorious stretch. Team MiD DAY found out that the road is slated for redevelopment in two phases, after the monsoons.
This extensive overhauling will include concretisation of entire stretches of the road. As of now, the potholes remain untouched, the largest one measuring 50 inches in diameter.
Voices
"The 90-feet road on Thakur Village has long acquired the reputation of being Kandivli's most abject looking road. Only extensive overhauling can address the commuters' woes, as the piecemeal work done by the BMC inevitably wears off within months."
- Sharda Bangera, resident
Officialspeak
"The condition of the Thakur Village Road is hazardous. We will concretise the entire stretch after the monsoons, in two phases. We have examined the road and drawn up strategies on the best possible way to cover up the potholes. The survey work of the road will be completed by the end of May. We have patched up other roads in the area which are not in need of extensive overhauling."
Sanjog Kabare, assistant commisioner R-South ward

Pramila Nagar Road, Dahisar (West)
The rather myopic BMC authorities seem to have cast a blind eye at this bylane, which is just a stone's throw away from the recently mended Waman Rao Bhoir Road. Potholes pervade the entire stretch, the biggest one measuring 200 inches.
Officialspeak
"We have been focusing on the roads that fall in the bus route. That is the reason why we did not mend the bylanes. The potholes on the stretch have been looked after."
Satish Warkar, assistant municipal commissioner for R- North Ward
Voices
"Since it is a rather obscure bylane, it often falls in the blind spot of the maintenance authorities. The condition of the road has deteriorated over the summer. Why do the roads need repair every year? Repair work should be done thoroughly, so that the roads are resistant to wear and tear for longer durations.
Hemlata Shikhare, Professor

P-North Ward, Orlem Road
Team MiD DAY was pleasantly surprised by the thoroughness of repair work undertaken at Orlem Road. The potholes have been levelled, and the planed road has been tiled with paver blocks. It seemed that the ailing road has finally been restored to the pink of health. A motorist can now breeze through the stretch.
Voices
"Earlier, motorists had to slow down and meander their vehicles in order to avoid the numerous potholes. This resulted in a traffic bottleneck in the area. Ever since the road was given a much-required makeover, traffic conditions are smooth sailing. The work done is thankfully not shoddy. It appears to be rather durable and is sure to last quite a while."
Merlyn Shah, resident

Andheri-Kurla Road, K-East Ward
Sakinaka
It appears that the planned repair work on the stretch has lapsed into a limbo. Although Team MiD DAY found sacks of building material like paver blocks, sand, and cement lining the stretch, no workers could be found doing anything with them. Needless to stay, the road is exactly how it had been in the last visit, with gaping potholes.
Voices
"I doubt if the work will be completed before the onset of the monsoons. Whenever the authorities fill a pothole, another one seems to emerge a few feet away."
Santosh Morya, bank executive
"The primary reason behind the traffic jams in the area is potholes. Such is the depth of these potholes that I can sometimes feel the engine silencer graze against its base."
Iqbal Ahmed, motorist

Jari Mari
The road has been reconstructed using paver blocks. The potholes on the road were measured to be inches wide.
Voices
"When I travel on this stretch to pick up my children from school, I find the car bumping up and down every few seconds. I hope that the civic authorities address this matter soon."
Shardadevi Nigam, Housewife
"The proportions of the potholes are increasing by the day. Traffic movement is in a sorry state. Compared to other roads in the area, this is definitely the worst."
Surendra Jaini, auto rickshaw driver

Ghatkopar, M-East Ward
Jawahar Road
The road has been concretised, but sections of it which have been tiled using paver blocks are in a deplorable condition. The section of the road next to Fame Cinema has deposits of debris, and pavement blocks are on the brink of being dislodged from their base in quite a few places. Several blocks on the bylane leading to Pantnagar are getting dislodged, thus inconveniencing commuters. The paved sections of the main road are extremely uneven and parts of the road appear to have sunk. A section of the road, dug up earlier for the laying down of pipes has not been covered well, and parts of the pipe can be seen jutting out of the crevasse.
An entire section of the road has been dug up by the BMC for placing sewage lines. There is pervasive debris lining this stretch. Moreover, at the junction near Doshi Hospital, pavement blocks appear to be missing, making the road uneven.
The pothole near Jethva Tailors, which earlier measured 51 inches, has been temporarily filled up, but the entire stretch is made quite an eyesore by the mounds of debris littering it.
Voices
"The customers get inconvenienced. Even rickshaw drivers lose balance due to the bumpiness of the road."
Nandkishore Pal, rickshaw driver
Officialspeak
"We are mending the roads. We are using paver blocks on the cobbled roads. The remainder of the road will be levelled using tar. We should be able to complete the work by May 31."
Manoj Wagh, executive engineer, M- East ward

Andheri-Kurla Road
The roads are in the process of being repaired and tiled with paver blocks.
Voices
"Whenever I ferry passengers on this road, I hear them complaining about the condition of the road. I have no idea why the authorities have neglected this stretch so far. The potholes are so deep that we cannot see to the bottom. In fact my rickshaw often gets stuck in the potholes. The traffic problems are compounded by the various construction works going on in the area, as a result of which there are traffic jams from 8 am in the morning to 8 pm at night.
Arvind Yadav, rickshaw driver
"Your road campaign has definitely had a positive impact. Since the work started, the condition of the road has definitely improved, and we can take rickshaw rides on it, which is something we used to avoid earlier."
Jayram Shetty, restaurant owner
Officialspeak
Currently the road is being overseen by the MMRDA, because of the ongoing Metro railway work. The road has been handed over to us for redevelopment. When this is completed it will be handed back to the BMC. The work is still in progress and we cannot estimate the cost that it will entail. We are fighting against time to finish the pending work, and have given ourselves a deadline of about a week. Soon we will complete work on the entire stretch of the Western Express Way, including Andheri-Kurla Road, Sakinaka and Marol naka.
AN Basme, assistant engineer MMRDA

Chembur, N Ward
RC Road
The Refinery Road at Chembur is in one royal mess. Pavement blocks at many points have caved in, exacerbating the condition of the road, which is already congested due to ongoing Monorail work. Temporary patchwork has been done at a few places, but the road still remains uneven. Debris from the construction site adds to the woes of the commuters, who are already suffering traffic mayhem owing to the Monorail work.
The section opposite Shagun Hall is especially hazardous, as sections of pavement blocks have caved in, becoming the site of many accidents in the past year.
Voices
"When the Monorail work is in progress, the depressions on the road fill up with water. Unsuspecting motorists thus fail to spot the bumps, as a result of which accidents take place. Monorail work has made things worse."
Prem Chhabria, resident
Officialspeak
"The condition of the stretch is quite pathetic. I have informed the road department about it. It is MMRDA's job to get the work done. I have instructed them to take care of the situation by May 31."
Rahul Shewale, BMC's Standing Committee chairperson

Ambedkar Road
Contractors filled in the potholes in Ambedkar Road on Wednesday night. Of the six potholes measured there earlier by team MiD DAY, the biggest was 21 metres in length and 50 inches in breadth. The roads in and around Ambedkar Road have been tiled using paver blocks, which, however, have not been fitted properly in the trenches, leading to unevenness.
Voices
"We are expecting the condition of the roads to improve. Only last night the BMC filled up the potholes with proper materials."
-Harish Wadhwani, resident

Almeida Park
TPS3 and TPS4 near Almeida Park having been repaired by the BMC. The roads appear to be in ship-shape condition.
Voices
"I enjoy cycling, but that was a complete no-no on this stretch till now. Since repair works were done a couple of week ago, we have been commuting on the routes frequently."
-Julianne Rego, Resident