Thousands of Mumbai’s streets need repair, but civic body has started work on only 40
BMC yet to finish tender process for many projects & also struggle to get NOCs from Traffic Department
Mumbaikars! If you are thinking that with the monsoon gone, you will get some relief from potholeridden roads as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would take up road repair work, then get ready for some disappointment since the municipal corporation is yet to even finish the tender process for priority three and project roads and are also struggling to get No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Traffic Department.
A senior civic officer said, “For project roads, which includes a total of 276 roads, 30 tenders have been floated and for 446 priority three roads, which include major roads and junctions, six tenders have been floated. Though bidders received but final packet (bidding price) evaluation is still in process."
Meanwhile, BMC has undertaken repair work on only 40 roads from the 722 roads to be repaired which was pending due to the monsoon.
Vinod Chithore, Chief Engineer of Roads Department of the BMC stated that they have received 30 NOC from the Traffic Department till date. Therefore, work on those roads have been started including another extra ten, as for NOC wasn’t required for those ten roads. “Within a few more days we are expecting hundred more NOCs so eventually the roads repair work would gear up,” Chithore added.
However, he refrained from replying that the Traffic Department was taking time to issue NOCs to BMC which in turn is delaying the roads repair work. He said, “We have sent application for NOCs, they (Traffic Department) will scrutinise those applications now.”
In addition, the civic officials also said that they are in the process of up-gradating the Worli asphalt plant. “This year around 19 tonnes of cold mix was imported from Israel and Austria for potholes filling, as the material can sustain even in heavy rainfall. The results were good. Hence, we (BMC) are planning to produce the mix in the Worli asphalt plant itself. So by next monsoon there is no need of importing the material from other countries.”
At present, BMC Worli asphalt plant has two batching machines which can produce only hot mix. The civic officer said, “Worli asphalt plant up-gradation is only required to produce cold mix. The laboratory test of material which can produce cold mix is done and we are waiting for the results and standard norms. Also, experts from Bombay Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has been involved to assist the roads department officials for the production of cold mix and plant up-gradation.”
In the last six months, from April to October 2017, the BMC received 1,463 potholes complaint and officials claim that they successfully managed to address 1,327 complaints.