Mumbai: 

Speed check: A board warns motorists to drive slowly at the Eastern Express Highway at Vikhroli. The highway witnessed 136 accidents since the advent of the monsoons. PIC: Sameer Markande

Hang on before you get all teary-eyed and thank the BMC, and to a smaller extent Sonia Gandhi, for ensuring Mumbai's roads are like Hema Malini's cheeks. The roads will soon be riddled with potholes.

A BMC official says, "The lull in rains has enabled the BMC to fill up nearly 400 potholes, but once the rains begin in full earnest, potholes will increase."

Comparative figures show there are 855 potholes this year as against 1,100 last year, this time. D L Shinde, chief engineer (Roads), said, "The number of potholes have reduced by 50 per cent because of a new building material called carbon core." However, a BMC official says carbon core is not the only solution to reduce the number of potholes.

New product

The BMC says it will soon introduce mechanised mastic asphalt and use it on select roads and bridges. Mastic asphalt, not the mechanised version, was recently used on the Eastern Express Highway, which directly resulted in 136 accidents since the rains began. The mechanised one, the BMC says, contains anti-skid elements and provides more durability to road surfaces.

It has been tested at the Metro Cinema junction near CST. Mastic asphalt is a hard grade mix of bitumen, which provides a tough road surface. Its thickness ranges between 25 mm to 40 mm.