BMC’s Wadala blunder: Concrete road patch fixed with asphalt

BMC’s shoddy patchwork in Wadala. Pics/Shadab Khan

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to convert all asphalt roads to concrete, there has been a discrepancy as the authority repaired a patch of Kidwai Road in Wadala with asphalt instead of concrete. Even after the patch was repaired in June, it was damaged again in July.

Local residents of Wadala have highlighted this issue. Nimish Malde, a resident of Wadala, tweeted about the problem, stating that the BMC had carried out stormwater drain work at several locations between Azad Nagar and Madhav Nagar on R A Kidwai Marg in Wadala. After the work, the BMC repaired three patches with asphalt on June 2, 2023. However, on July 9, Malde discovered that these patches were damaged, and potholes had formed.

Wadala resident pointing out the shoddy patchwork

When mid-day visited the spot with Malde, it was observed that the BMC had recently repaired those patches. However, one patch was uneven, and the surface of another patch was damaged, resulting in a rough road. "This is how BMC works," said Malde, expressing his dissatisfaction. He further added that if there is heavy rainfall, potholes will likely reappear.

According to another resident who preferred to remain anonymous, the entire road is made of concrete. Therefore, after the stormwater drain repair, the BMC should have used concrete to fix these patches.

However, they chose to repair them with asphalt. As a result, drivers are now facing difficulties. The anonymous resident also mentioned that bikers sometimes encounter problems due to the sudden rough patches on the road. "This is how our civic authority works," they added. The road used to be in good condition as it was made of concrete, but now there are a few deteriorating patches, they added.

June 2
Day when the road was previously fixed