Former BJP corporator from Colaba Makarand Narwekar has urged the Bombay High Court to permit continuation of road concretisation work in South Mumbai to prevent inconvenience to the public due to pothole-ridden and dug up roads, which has led to accidents causing loss of human lives.
The high court bench headed by Justice Gautam Patel, on December 15, had restrained the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from proceeding further with the fresh tender issued on December 4 for concretisation of 300 roads worth Rs 1,362.34 crore in the island city observing that there no emergency in concretising city roads.
Tender proceedings stayed
The high court had stayed the tender proceedings while hearing a plea by Roadway Solutions India Infra Limited (RSIIL), the contractor who was terminated from carrying out the same road concretisation work due to alleged delay in implementing the project.
Narwekar has filed an intervention application before the high court through advocate Prerak Chaudhary, in RSIIL’s plea seeking to vacate the stay on further concretisation work stating that the same is causing inconvenience to the residents in South Mumbai.
'Delay causing irreparable hardship'
The work needs to be commenced at the earliest since it has to be completed before the onset of monsoon. “... any delay in commencing work is capable of causing irreparable hardship as work ought to start way before monsoon so as to ensure that it is complete before the commencement of first shower,” the plea read.
Narwekar has contended that the matter of concretising of roads is very urgent as it has taken a lot of judicial and executive efforts to deal with the problems faced by the citizens on account of potholes on roads, motor accidents and large number of casualties suffered by riders of two wheelers. His application also points out the contempt plea filed against the BMC and other authorities for failing to implement high court directions on making city roads pothole free.
'Loss of human life far more sensitive'
Advocate Chaudhary said that a contractual dispute between a contractor and the BMC can be resolved by arbitration. However, it is BMC’s duty to protect citizens’ interest.
Apart from causing losses to the public exchequer, Narwekar has contended, “the loss of human life due to accidents on account of potholes etc is something that is far more sensitive”.
