Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revived its pothole challenge initiative, this time for a whole month, until December 14. Earlier, the BMC had launched a seven-day challenge, from November 1 to November 7. Buoyed by the overwhelming response from citizens on its app, ‘MyBMC Pothole Fixit’, the civic body decided it would resume the process, according to an official.
With the challenge, the BMC had urged citizens to report potholes by sharing 'pothole selfies' on its official app and receive Rs 500 per pothole (limited to two cash awards), if these were not repaired within 24 hours. The condition was that the pothole had to be more than three inches deep and at least one foot wide.
For roads falling under defect-liability period (DLP), the cash award would come from the contractor concerned, as in this period, road contractors are responsible for maintenance. Otherwise, for failing to fill potholes within 24 hours of the receipt of the complaint, the concerned civic official would pay the amount out of their pocket.
Citizens continued to send 'pothole selfies' well after the seven-day challenge ended. In this period, 1,700 complaints were registered on the app, of which only 155 potholes remained unfilled, the BMC said, leaving 155 complainants eligible for the cash award. However, of these 155, 36 refused to accept the cash award.
