Mumbai’s potholes call out the official lie

These dangerous craters are near Hazari Baug building at Station Road, Vikhroli West. Pic/Sameer Markande

The second spell of heavy rain that started last week has washed away all the tall claims the BMC has been making about Mumbai's roads becoming pothole-free in two years. Many of the city and suburbs' roads are riddled with craters that appear regularly year after year, angering citizens. Though most of the arterial roads have been converted into cement concrete ones now and they are in better shape, patches of asphalt on these roads have also created potholes that hinder the speed of vehicles.

The civic chief had claimed last November that the city would be pothole free within the next two years. But commuters are already facing the same fate this monsoon. The BMC has awarded a contract worth Rs 6,080 crore to concrete 400 km of roads this February. "But none of the roads were completed before the monsoon," alleged Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT)leader.

Vehicles make their way through a pothole-ridden road near Dahisar toll naka last week. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed it has repaired 6,045 potholes from April 1 to July 24. The repaired area measures around 11,038 metres. Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu said, "The pre-monsoon road maintenance work on the entire Western Express Highway is commendable. Officials have been ordered to repair potholes on the Eastern Express Highway. Although there is a deadline of 48 hours to fill potholes after receiving a complaint, efforts are being made to fill potholes within 24 hours using Cold Mix technology."

"The BMC had teams in each ward to monitor potholes. The BMC is spending Rs 125 crore on resurfacing bad patches of roads. Each ward has also been given R2 crore for repairs of potholes. The BMC had also allotted R48 crore to wards. It uses reactive asphalt and Rapid Hardening Concrete technology to repair potholes. In the western suburbs, the work of filling potholes on the roads towards the south is done well. This is one of the best works in Mumbai amid the monsoon," claimed a BMC official.

Same story everywhere

Vikhroli station road is the worst for pedestrians as well as vehicles. The Kannamwar Nagar internal road is the worst example of how the civic authority repairs potholes. The BMC repaired some patches in June but there are potholes on them again. "The BMC had kept highways and potholes free but what about internal roads which are mainly used by senior citizens and school children?" said Vaibha Zhende, a resident of Vikhroli.

Link Road at Borivli West is riddled with potholes. Pic/Nimesh Dave

"The internal roads of Ghatkopar's Pantnagar are badly affected. We heard the figures of crores of rupees which the BMC is going to spend on repairing potholes. But there is no work done on ground. The authorities should think about internal roads which are badly damaged. It is difficult to ride two-wheelers on internal roads. Many two-wheeler riders face back pain. I have also seen some bike riders fall due to potholes," said Sachin Manjrekar, a resident.

"There is a six-inch-deep pothole measuring 4 by 8 feet in Bandra. Locals say their buildings vibrate and water splashes into their shops when a vehicle passes by. We have been complaining about this," said Mushtaq Ansari, an activist from Bandra. "Potholes have emerged everywhere on Bandra's Hill Road. The BMC filled up the potholes on SV Road with Cold Mix after we tweeted but it will wash out after a few spells like every year," he added.

‘Can't avoid potholes'

"The road from Chikuwadi in Borivali West to Mahavir Nagar signal in Kandivli West is riddled with potholes. Two days back, a group of youngsters was attempting to fill the potholes with soil, but on Monday the situation turned miserable. No one can drive a vehicle by avoiding potholes," said Rashmi Jadhav, a local who regularly commutes.

BMC staff repair a stretch of potholes near Santacruz police station, Juhu Tara Road, on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Though the BMC converted many main roads into cement concrete ones, people claim the patches of asphalt slow down vehicles. "The CC roads are in good condition but craters on asphalt patches make them useless. BMC officials should see the conditions and repair them at once," wrote a Twitter user.

"My work involves travelling all over Mumbai. Internal roads have a lot of potholes. Rarely is there an internal road without potholes. ISRO is busy with Chandrayaan-3. But the BMC is giving us experience of the moon's surface right here in Mumbai. Not only bikers but those who use cars feel the same. Before the monsoon we heard that the BMC was spending crores on repairing potholes. But we don't see potholes being repaired," said Anand Yadav, a resident of Dadar.

Anil Galgali, another activist, said that the Magan Nathuram (MN) Road in Kurla has hundreds of potholes. Despite written complaints, discussions with the road department and pleading to the contractor, the situation hasn't improved.

"The municipal commissioner should take cognisance of such gross dereliction of duty on part of the BMC department concerned and initiate immediate action. He should also give standing instructions to get the defects removed immediately," said Mohammed Afzal, an activist. Mona Vaidya tweeted on the condition of Juhu-Tara Road, "It's horrible. It's taxpayer money going down the potholes. The small stretch takes over 20 minutes to cross. No one takes the complaints seriously."

Evaristo Fernandes, another Twitter user, said, "This is next to Juhu garden, the small road usually gets heavy traffic and with this kind of potholes, only God save us! Actress Aahana Kumra tweeted a photo of a bad patch of road located at Kavi Ram Basakhetre Road at Andheri on Sunday. BMC K West ward replied the same day that the complaint would be sent to the roads department. But till Monday afternoon no work was done.

"This is 2023 and this is the plight of our roads every year! They put daambar (tar) and expect us to drive our cars. Walk on these roads," Kumra said in her tweet later. A resident of Mulund said that there are potholes on almost all the roads there. "These potholes cause traffic jams. If the pothole is full of water, its depth cannot be predicted. When the vehicle goes into the pothole, the driver and the passengers suffer."

Rs 6,080 cr
Amount BMC has paid for concreting 400 km of roads

Rs 125 crore
Allocation for resurfacing bad patches of roads