Thane: Social Activists, Locals Unhappy With MMRDA's Shoddy Work On 10 Km Stretch Of Old Agra Road

Thane: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) recently undertook the long-awaited repair work of a 10km stretch of the old Agra road from Balkum to Bhiwandi after repeated follow-ups by Thane-based social activist Sneha Singh. However, the locals are unhappy with shoddy concreting at Kasheli and Kalher and are alleging that MMRDA has done poor work.

Earlier on November 28, 2022, the FPJ reported that the stretch, which was once a national highway, has been neglected by various state agencies, including the public works department (PWD), the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), and MMRDA.

Concrete road developing cracks

Thane-based social activist Sneha Singh said, “The road has already developed cracks at multiple places and the material used at some places is not perfect. The road daily sees heavy traffic since Bhiwandi is a large warehouse town. At some places, the work is going at slow speed, whereas at other places it has ended but cracks have developed.”

Calling it a waste of taxpayers’ money, she said, “They took almost a year to concretise the roads but poor work was exposed within a few days. We shall file an RTI to MMRDA to seek details regarding this shoddy work.”

Navin Abdullah, a freelance journalist from Bhiwandi said, “We were extremely happy when concretisation started. However, now the situation is getting worse. It once again proves the state agencies like MMRDA are least bothered about Bhiwandi and adjoining areas in the Thane district.”

Thane roads not repaired for years

Hrishikesh Khose, a resident of Balkum said, “Even the new roads in Kasheli are not proper. Towards Thane side in Balkum, the asphalt road hasn’t been repaired since years; it comes under MSRDC. I hope MMRDA not just takes action in Kasheli but also collaborates with MSRDC to concretise Balkum roads.”

Despite several attempts, the MMRDA officials were unavailable for comments