Mumbai: BMC gets set to tackle potholes early this year

Last year, the BMC floated a tender to fill potholes using the same technology, but did not get a response and had to turn to its old contractors. File pic/Anurag Ahire

This year the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started the process to tackle the menace of potholes early. It has invited Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) suppliers and plant owners to demonstrate filling potholes and bad patches using the technologies of Rapid Hardening Concrete and Reactive Asphalt. It is proposed to carry out pothole filling work before and during the monsoon of 2023.

The scope of work includes cutting potholes into geometrical shapes, filling them using appropriate technology, and having a Defect Liability Period for at least 3 years. Last year, the BMC floated a tender to fill potholes using the same technology with DLP of 15 months in August, but did not get any response and then had to turn to its old contractors.

Of 2,050 km roads in the city, 990 km have been concretised. The BMC has undertaken work of concretisation of 610 km of 1,060 km of asphalt road. The remaining 450 km of road concretisation will be carried out in the next phase. But considering last year's experience, the BMC has started the process of finalising the pothole filling firms in advance.

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Offers can be emailed

On Tuesday, the BMC published an advertisement inviting response from RMC plant owners who have Rapid Hardening Concrete technology as well as Reaction Asphalt technology. It has asked interested suppliers to email their offers with design, specifications, methodology, logistical supports, end-to-end solutions and rates within two days. The BMC expected a free demonstration of their technology on site at various locations in Mumbai.

"Before filling the potholes, they have to be cut into geometric shapes with sharp edges to provide better holding and adhesion of the material," said P Velarasu, additional commissioner of the BMC. But he did not comment on the changes to rope in contractors for this monsoon.

Just one bidder previously

After pilot testing Rapid Hardening Concrete technology as well as Reaction Asphalt technology on Wadala roads, the BMC on July 29, 2022 invited five separate tenders worth R5 crore - one for the island city, one for the eastern suburbs and three for the western suburbs. As per the tender document, the defect liability period was set for 15 months and the contractor was to get 50 per cent of the payment on completing the work and the remaining half after the defect liability period. Only one bidder came forward for one tender.

A BMC official said then that the respondents needed bigger contracts and were not ready to invest in infrastructure for such a low cost. Even the 15 months assurance was an issue.

As the pothole menace grew last year, the BMC had then decided to rope in old contractors with rapid hardening concrete technology by paying them extra.