Mumbai: Aarey road built 6 months ago already develops cracks

A dug-up portion of the road near Chhota Kashmir lake in Aarey Milk Colony on Monday. Pics/Ranjeet Jadhav

A section of the cement concrete (CC) main road constructed about six months ago at Aarey Milk Colony has already been dug up for repairs, infuriating locals and motorists. In the past, mid-day had highlighted how the stretch had developed cracks, prompting the authorities to ask the contractor to carry out repairs. Thousands of vehicles ply the Aarey Milk Colony main road during morning and evening peak hours.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Shakha Pramukh Sandeep Gadhave said, "Authorities claim that CC roads are being constructed in Mumbai as they are more durable and require less maintenance than tar roads. However, the road in Aarey illustrates a different story. A section of this road, built just six months ago, is already under repairs, clearly indicating that the BMC-appointed contractor used substandard materials for its construction."

He added that when the road previously developed cracks at various locations, he had urged the authorities to monitor construction work to prevent a recurrence of the issue. On Monday, when mid-day visited the spot, a 40-50-foot-long portion of the newly constructed CC road was dug up near Chhota Kashmir lake in the road median. According to a local who did not wish to be named, there is another small patch near Aarey Market where the CC road has developed cracks.

Rishab Aditya, who uses the Aarey Milk Colony road daily, said, "The newly constructed CC road near the Chhota Kashmir area has already been dug up, raising serious concerns about the quality of the materials used. This situation exemplifies how taxpayers' money is wasted. The authorities should penalise the contractor and blacklist them for this shoddy work."

On December 7, mid-day highlighted how the cement concrete road had developed cracks at several locations. Even as the liability period of the road is 10 years, the shoddy work has come under criticism from activists and locals. Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's road department assured citizens that the cracks would be repaired.

The BMC initiated the concreting of Aarey Milk Colony's main road, from Goregaon junction to the L&T junction of Powai in 2022, with an anticipated completion date of 2025. A contract worth R51.6 crore was awarded to the company undertaking the road construction. According to the tender conditions, the road carries a defect liability period of a decade, with 20 per cent of the contract amount disbursed in equal instalments over ten years post-completion.

The contract for the construction of the concrete cement road has been divided among two entities: one is responsible for the stretch from the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to Filter Pada near the S ward boundary while the other is handling the section from the Marol side to the picnic point.

50 FT
Approx. length of dug-up stretch