Marathon route riddled with potholes, civic body says it will fix them today

Despite having three jet patchers, the TMC has been filling the potholes manually

THANE: Monsoons usually mark an increase in the number of potholes in the city but even with the rains receding, there seems no respite from the pockmarked roads.

With the 27th Thane Mayor Varsha Marathon just a day away and the Ganpati festival being just a few days away, the residents have little faith on the authorities fixing the roads before the festivities kick in.

The number of potholes in the city has increased over the rainy season and now the athletes participating in the marathon will have to face a bumpy stretch as the Eastern Express Service road near the Nitin Company and Matrathon Chowk where the marathon will be conducted is riddled with potholes.

A month ago, the corporation had recorded 1,374 potholes across a stretch of 3,660 square feet. But now, the figures stand at 2,422 potholes found across 5,883 square metres. According to the corporation, they have filled 2,282 potholes and need to fix only the 140 remaining potholes.

Thane mayor Sanjay More had taken a round of the marathon route early this week to inspect the condition of the road. “I had noted some potholes on the marathon route. I have directed the civic officials to fill them before Sunday.”

Speaking about the action to be taken by the officials, Ratan Awsarmol, city engineer of TMC said, “We will inspect the entire marathon route on Saturday and all the potholes there will be fixed. The roads will be levelled and the debris along the side of the roads will be removed. The athletes will have a smooth run.”

Despite the availability of three jet patchers, the corporation is also seen filling the potholes manually. Awsarmol said that potholes on a busy street are filled manually as using the jet patch machine would lead to traffic jam. Potholes on roads and streets with less traffic pressure are the ones that are filled using the jet patch machines, he added.

Commenting on this, the participants of the marathon claimed that potholes have become integral part of the Thane marathon.

Bijay Nair, 40, a resident of Mulund, who has participated in the Thane marathon thrice and will also be running this time said, “Potholes are a huge spoiler in the marathon. Even a small injury can keep you away from the track for more than two years. If you are an athlete, an injury can make your career go for a toss.” He also added that there were fewer potholes last year on the running track than the previous years. “However, there is still lot of scope for improvement to ensure the safety of athletes in this marathon,” Nair said.

The civic body was given of Rs2.5 crore to ensure a potholefree monsoon. The jet patch machines were also purchased as it can quickly and easily fill up potholes and have a long shelf life.

PRAFUL GANGURDE Potholes like this at Kapurbwadi have cropped up across the major roads in the city.