A bumpy ride for Ganesha this year
With just a few days left for Ganeshtosav to begin its annual 11-days festival, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshtosav Samanvya Samiti (BSGSS), the umbrella body of organisers and mandals, already informed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department (PWD) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to resolve the potholes menace, so as to avoid bumpy rides during the festive season.
Naresh Dahibhavkar, President of BSGSS remarked that Bappa will experience bumpy rides as heavy showers slashed the city, wherein the roads department will have an excuse now of not completing the potholes repair work. "In the August 7 meeting with Chief Minister we intimated him about the potholes problem, wherein the CM instructed the concerned departments to perform speedy work. However, the city is observing heavy showers which has eventually stalled the roads repair work. And it’s obvious that mandals have to suffer due to it. Bappa will have bumpy rides.”
He further added that mandals are slammed for erecting pandals that have encroached footpaths because of which pedestrians face problems. But this year and for next four years due to Metro work, Mumbaikars will experience a lot of traffic congestion. Due to metro, Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway has developed maximum number of potholes.
Major parts of the city are covered with metro barricades and big Ganesh mandals in Lower Parel, Worli, Girgaon will face problems as metro work is going on at Annie Besant Road, Arthur Road (Chinchpokli), Jaganath Shankar Sheth Road of Girgaon, which are the routes of immersion points. Also, Mahim area Ganesh mandals going towards Mahim Reti bunder for immersion will face traffic congestion.
Chief Engineer Vinod Chithore from the Roads Department of BMC stated that appointed contractors are looking after the bad patch work. Also at ward level the repair work is being undertaken like imported mix is being used to cover big potholes, addition to it the budget allocation for roads is utilised.