Mumbai: First showers expose PWD's Rs 2-crore sham

For the Public Works Department (PWD), there is no greater evil than the Mumbai monsoon for it exposes its tall claims of ‘impeccable' pre-monsoon work.

Samta Nagar: Despite BMC's prohibition, PWD used paveblocks as a quick fix measure to fill potholes on WEH near Samta Nagar police station in Kandivli. Pics/Prabhanjan Dhanu

In less than a month after repairing the Western Express Highway (WEH) between Dahisar and Bandra - as part of pre-monsoon preparations for which the PWD spent about Rs 2 crore - potholes have resurfaced at several locations on the stretch.

Domestic airport: Gravel on the pothole-ridden road near the airport is forcing motorists, especially those on two-wheelers, to tread cautiously to avoid mishaps

While motorists are complaining that the shoddy job has made commuting on the WEH a nightmare, especially for those riding two-wheelers, PWD thinks otherwise. Stating that the department gave its best while repairing the WEH, PWD engineer SS Deshmukh said, "We did our best to ensure that commuters don't get inconvenienced while travelling on the WEH. We met the deadline for repairing the roads before monsoon. But if potholes have resurfaced, then the issue will be addressed immediately."

Jogeshwari: A portion of the recently repaired road crumbles near the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackerey Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari

Lack of understanding
Despite civic body barring the use of paverblocks for repairing potholes, as it leads to uneven roads, the PWD failed to implement the directive. It was observed that PWD staffers were filling potholes using paverblocks and stone crush mix as a temporary measure. "When the surface is wet, paverblocks and stone crush mixture are used to fill a pothole temporarily. Once the rainfall stops for a week or so, we will repair the potholes permanently," added another PWD engineer.