Mumbai: Authorities turn blind eye to craters on New Link Road between Dahisar and D N Nagar

Cops fixing potholes in D N Nagar last week. Pic/Shailesh Bhatia

Two weeks have passed since mid-day highlighted the cratered surface of the New Link Road between D N Nagar and Dahisar in its cover-page report, but the authorities seem least bothered about doing anything to alleviate the acute discomfort caused to the commuters.

mid-day reported about the appalling condition of the road, below the Metro 2A line between Dahisar and D N Nagar, on July 5. The state of the road is so bad that motorists are stuck in traffic jams during the morning and evening peak hours. During a visit to the site on Monday morning, this paper's correspondent noticed the roads still had potholes and some parts were broken.

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A big pothole near Oshiwara bus depot, on Saturday

Chairman of Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens' Association (LOCA) Dhaval Shah said, "...The potholes have turned into craters and some sections of the road have been washed away. It is high time the authorities woke up."

A few days back, traffic police were seen trying to fill up the potholes on the stretch to prevent heavy, peak-hour traffic jams.

Broken and uneven surface on Saturday. Pics/Anurag Ahire

Karan Jotwani, an Oshiwara resident who rides to work via New Link Road, said, "Riding the bike on the Andheri-New Link Road is no less than a roller coaster ride. There is less even surface and more potholes now. My back and bike have both suffered because of this. Very soon, we will have to employ lifeguards to man the potholes as there is no saying how deep they get and someone could fall into them and die."

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ulhas Mahale said, "It is the responsibility of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to look after the repair and maintenance of the road below the under-construction Metro corridors and the instructions for the same have already been given to it."