Mumbai: If the city has pending road works for the past several years, the eastern suburbs are no better. The BMC has undertaken road works worth approximately Rs 800 crore, which include 343 asphalt and 54 concrete roads, of which the civic body has been able to complete only 285 and 39 respectively. The remaining might take another two years to complete. This means a smooth commute will elude you at least for the year 2015.
The BMC’s Roads and Traffic department undertakes road works for strengthening and capital improvement. This means that existing roads which have been in bad shape are revamped, their dividers changed and painted, footpaths redone etc. The BMC has recently introduced interlocking paver blocks instead of the existing ones since they are more efficient. Thus, in all the areas where paver blocks are in bad condition, they will be replaced by the new interlocking ones.
[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]Haphazard work proceeding at snail’s pace has failed to give citizens a smooth ride, making their commute utmost difficult. The Free Press Journal takes up the cause for the city highlighting the lackadaisical approach of the authorities and contractors. Today Part 2 focuses on – Eastern Mumbai[/alert]
Some of the major roads under improvement in the eastern suburbs include Madan Mohan Malviya Road, Jain Temple road, Jawaharlal Nehru road, Lokmanya Tilak road, Mahatma Phule Road in Mulund. Others include Telephone Exchange Road, North Bombay school road, Sanghani Estate road in Ghatkopar, Raheja Vihar road, Himalaya society road, New Mill road in Kurla and Abdul Hameed road, Shivaji Nagar Road no. 14 in M/East ward (Govandi). Some of the roads which will face the bulldozer in Bhandup include Vihar lake road, Saigalwadi Road, Kanjur Village Road, Padmavati road, Pratapnagar road etc.
“Every road project has a deadline which, if not followed, leads to the contractor being fined. But the BMC will complete work on 800 roads including city and suburbs by May. Rest will be completed after monsoon,” said Ashok Pawar, Chief Engineer, Roads and Traffic Department, BMC.
“Road improvement is just another name for adding another layer of asphalt over them. Every road has a three-year guarantee. But instead of fining and black-listing contractors who do shoddy work, the BMC goes ahead to appoint another contractor which again costs the taxpayers’ money,” said Rajkumar Sharma, member of the NGO AGNI. “Nowhere in the world are roads redone every other year. It is such a waste. And construction debris is a major issue which affects the city. Instead of owning up to it, the BMC passes on the buck to the contractor who leaves it untouched. If contractors were so good at it, wouldn’t they have been given the contract for solid waste dumping?” Sharma added.
41 seconds ago Mumbai, Maharashtra #dugupmumbai actually hardly any sq foot is left where the road are in good condition. Every where the road are dig
Why don’t these guys just keep the whole of #Mumbai shut for a month and dig up all the roads to their hearts content ? @smart_mumbaikar
0240 Bisnuprriya Dey@BishWishes
In #Mumbai our #BMC is like #ISRO training us to walk on d craters of moon…by digging d roads !!…it thinks sooo futuristic!!
Need work to go on 24×7 on the roads that are dug up in Mumbai. Such a waste of precious time for so many @Dev_Fadnavis @AUThackeray
8@anishkmotwani
Roads dug up by #mmrda or #Bmc on monorail route R C Road – big big mess since 2 months #dugupmumbai @fpjindia
Anupam Gupta@b50
BMC is on some mission to dig up roads in Mumbai. I’ve never seen this kind of furious digging. It’s like they’re humping every road.
Anirudh A Damani@showmedamani Apr 6
Do the MLAs actually travel on the roads of Mumbai? Why build concrete roads when the ride is like driving through an unpaved jungle!?!?
When the concrete roads are made, the digging work starts !! #StrangeFacts #Mumbai
I have a theory, it rains in Mumbai a month after the authorities decide to dig up roads.
I stay at South Mumbai – Nana Chowk. In my area road repairing work is on and proper care is not taken. I was going with my son on a two-wheeler and fell down, luckily my son whom I was taking for his final exam was not injured. No sign of caution or work in progress was displayed there. I ask the government why every 6 months there is a road repair? Is the contractor not answerable for guarantee/warranty of work for period of 2 or more years.
Hopefully, someone will take serious note and stop this nuisance.
Thanks
– Jayesh Rajput, resident of South Mumbai
This is a great initiative from your side. Would like to congratulate you on this and just hope this helps in changing the current pathetic condition of roads in Mumbai. Peddar Road to start is one of the most busiest roads in Mumbai and is in the most pathetic condition. Besides, LBS Marg at Ghatkopar from station towards R city mall is another such classic example of poor condition of Mumbai roads.
– Rahul Sharma, In association with Vondasoft, social media,, listening partners
