BMC: Roads, Potholes again will be a major problem this Monsoon
BMC: Roads, Potholes again will be a major problem this Monsoon
Shabana Choudhary
Arrival of monsoon bring issues like disruptive railway traffic, short circuits, electrocution, power failure, road accidents, treefalls, fire and landslides continue to haunt the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
As rainy season is round the corner but roads especially inside and adjoining to slums pocket in the city is going to become more worst.
Many roads in the city were seen in bad condition and pedestrians are not able to walk too. At many places it’s seen due to water logging in the low line areas roads may get affected.
If we talk about the roads condition in the Kalina Vidhan Sabha locality, at many places roads condition are good but similarly many roads condition are bad especially in the slums pocket like Shashtri Nagar, Kalina Donger, Kunchikurve Nagar, Kurayya estate, Yogiraj Ashram and many places in Vakola like Dutta Mandir, Gaondevi, Davri Nagar, etc.
At Shahstri Nagar locality, every year local residence facing water logging issue due to drainage issue and finding problems to walk due to condition of bad roads. While in Kunchikurve nagar thousands of families are residing but only one road is in use for entry and exit which is also in very band condition.
Apart from all these problems, another ever-existing menace of potholes is also expected to be in news for a while and then disappear.
Mumbai and its suburban areas have always had a problem with bad roads. Potholes, missing manhole covers and accidents have long plagued the city, and this condition only worsens every monsoon. Citizens have fundamental right to good roads.
While roads are repaired every year potholes reappeared after first few showers.Every year BMC spends lump sum amount only to fill the potholes.
In case of any accidents or untoward incidents that are caused owing to potholes, compensation should be deducted from the salary of the engineer and contractor.
Potholes are mainly a result of poor quality road construction and unscientific method of repairing them. This, combined with waterlogging, causes roads to lose their durability.
The civic body carries out the tender process only once a year. The process covers repair works before monsoon, during monsoon and after monsoon. The contractor gets a contract for one year to look after the roads.
Crater-size potholes fill up with stagnant water leads breeding disease-causing mosquitoes and leading to accidents. Water collected in potholes poses the risk of dengue and malaria. The risk of getting injured increases in the dark, as the street lights sometimes don’t work.
Political leaders from different parties has come forward and spoken about bad condition of roads in Kalina Vidhan Sabha
Shiv Sena leader and Kunchikurve Samaj head Parshuram Jadhav said “ Kunchikurve Nagar, Kolivery Village, Shashtri Nagar and its adjoining areas facing various problems, manholes are open and contractors left the job in middle due to which people suffering. No one is bothered about the bad roads especially in our ward, I approached the Mayor and other senior BMC officials too about the bad roads but nothing has come out.”
Congress Corporator Brian Miranda said “Currently we are facing the shortage of labour from the BMC contractors side, condition of roads is bad but we are taking steps to improve it.”
Local residence from Shashtri Nagar said “Water logging and bad roads condition in our area is not new we are facing this problems from decades, local political leaders are interested only in vote bank not in people grievances.”
