Mumbai: To make the city pothole-free the BMC had announced its ambitious project of concretisation last year. Accordingly, a tender process started in January for concretisation of 397 km of roads at a cost of Rs 6,080 crore. But it doesn't have much provision for road work in the new financial year 2023- 2024.
The budget estimate of Rs 2,825 for roads and traffic department is divided into several works such as beautification of the Gateway of India, construction of footpaths, charging station for Electric vehicles, multi-level mechanical parking and Mumbai Parking Authority.
Pothole ridden roads of city
The pothole-ridden roads in every monsoon have been a matter of concern for the city. Cement-concrete roads are meant to last for 25 years, so the civic authority chalked out a concretisation plan for asphalt roads for three years. In January 2022, work orders were given for concretising about 210 km of roads, while work orders were issued for 166 km of roads for 2022- 23. The BMC had made provision of Rs. 2,100 crores in 2022-23 for roads.
The civic administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal in a power-point presentation assured the High court that all roads in the city would be concretised within three years. Accordingly, the BMC has undertaken a work of concretisation of 397 km of roads at a cost of Rs. 6,080 (including 18 percent GST), the biggest ever civic contract for road work. The civic body has completed a tender process for the same, while it will float another tender for remaining work in the next financial year, said the civic sources.
"As per citizens' suggestions, we have decided to construct footpaths on both sides on all nine-metre roads. For road work we have sufficient funds for two years," said civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal during the budget presentation. The city has a road network of 2050 km and out of it, 990 km of roads are already concretised. In new financial year the BMC has undertaken a repair work of prominent roads - Lady Laxmibai Jagmohan Marg, B.G.Kher Marg, Narayan Dabholkar marg in city, Bhaskar Bhopi road, Link road in western suburb, M.N.road, D.P.road No.9, B.R.road, N.B.Patil Marg in eastern suburbs.
