Heavy rain gives Thane 1,016 craters
THANE: With Thane receiving heavy rainfall for the past one week, most roads have developed potholes.
A total of 1,016 potholes, covering a total area of 2,268 square metre (sqm), were found over the past one week in the city, according to a survey conducted by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).
The civic body has started the work of filling up potholes since June end, however, the work is moving slowly due to unavailability of labourers in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The budget for this year’s monsoon road repair work is ₹2.25 crore as compared to ₹3.5 crore in 2019.
In 2019, three pedestrians, including a five-year-old boy, lost their lives in pothole accidents.
A TMC official said, “Till Thursday, the city had 1,016 potholes covering an area of 2,268sqm. Most of these potholes are on the roads in areas such as Ghodbunder, Diva, Wagle Estate and Naupada-kopri wards. We have filled 686 potholes covering 1,376 sqm road surface and are yet to fill 330 potholes in different parts of the city.”
The official added, “The budget (for road repair works) has decreased. However, we have not compromised on the repair works. Most of the potholes on roads under TMC are filled. We have also written letters to other authorities such as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, public works department and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to repair roads under their jurisdiction.”
Ankush Hadkar, a 38-year-old Kalwa resident, said, “This year traffic congestion due to potholes is less as not many people are commuting. However, potholes can still lead to major accidents as most roads in the city are in bad condition. The road near Kamgar Hospital is riddled with potholes, as are some of the roads in Naupada and Teen Hath Naka. Most roads in Kalwa, too, are in pathetic condition. Commuters will have to face a nightmare if the lockdown is raised.”