14 July,2016 06:50 AM IST | | Nimesh Dave and Ranjeet Jadhav
On several stretches of WEH, the PWD is filling small potholes with crushed stones, which throw up dust
The dust on the pothole menace is yet to settle, but motorists on the Western Express Highway (WEH) are being subjected to a fresh bout of troubles. Small potholes between Bandra and Dahisar are being filled with crushed stones as a temporary measure. With rain abating in the last two days, the dust from this mixture is filling the air, turning commute on the stretch into a bigger nightmare.
Dust from crushed stones fills the air on the WEH stretch between Bandra and Dahisar. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Besides, the crushed stones pose a bigger risk to two-wheeler riders, who could skid on the gravel.
The public works department (PWD) is using crushed stones as an ad hoc measure since paver blocks - being used liberally across the city - are too big for small potholes.
Satvik Tripathi, who regularly commutes between JVLR and Dahisar, questions the logic behind resorting to crushed stones to fill potholes. "Two-wheelers could skid against the crushed stones and suffer major falls. With less rainfall, the dust rising from the crushed stones has also worsened our problems. The authorities should take advantage of the current dry spell and fill potholes with hot or cold mixtures of tar."
The PWD claims that many of its teams are already on this job at several troublesome spots.
Afroz Khan, a resident from the western suburbs who, too, takes the WEH, says his only solace is that he commutes in a car. "Two-wheeler riders suffer the most; commuters in cars can roll up their windows. The least that the authorities can do is sweep the roads clean of all the dust."
