Mumbai: Locals upset over BMC’s ‘repair-dig-repair’ habit

The reconstructed footpath at M B Raut Marg No. 2. Pics/Anurag Ahire

The Bombay High Court (HC) has on several occasions slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the bad condition of footpaths in the city. However, repairing, digging and then repairing footpaths again seems to have become a regular practice with the civic body.

The latest such incident has been reported at Shivaji Park in Dadar West, where the footpath along M B Raut Marg No. 2 was repaired under the city beautification programme a few months ago. However, the BMC recently allowed this footpath to be dug up again by a private company for laying utilities. As a result, the footpath required to be repaired again, with locals alleging that the shoddy work done will not hold up during the monsoon.

Footpath along S K Bole Road

Local resident Uday Sawant said, "Even with the naked eye, we can tell that the repair work is not done properly and won't hold during the monsoon. There are a large number of senior citizens living in the area and they suffer if the footpaths are not good." According to Sawant, the footpath looked well maintained after the initial repair work carried out a few months ago, adding to the beauty of the Shivaji Park precincts. However, the new one "already looks old and tarnished".

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Similar issues have been reported from other areas in Dadar West. Locals allege that the footpath along Ranade Road was repaired a year ago and was in very good condition. A few days back, an approximately 300-metre-long patch of it was dug up for laying fibre optic cables of a private company. The contractor was allowed to keep the footpath dug up for seven days. It was finally repaired on Monday night, after several complaints by locals.

The footpath at Ranade Road, Dadar West

Local activist Sachin Sali alleged that the repairs have not been done properly and this is evident by just looking at it. "A good footpath has actually been damaged because of the shoddy repair work," he said, adding that two other footpaths have faced the same issue. A small part of the footpath opposite Kabutarkhana near N C Kelkar Marg and the footpath along S K Bole Road were dug up recently. These were also repaired a year ago.

BMC officials claimed the footpaths were dug up for emergency work which could not be avoided. "We don't have any other option as underground utilities are emergency services," said an official.