Mumbai: Dry August, 2 weeks to Ganpati, but why are roads still like this?

Uneven patches that were created after the filling of potholes near Oberoi International School in Goregaon East on Thursday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Quick-fix attempts to eliminate potholes have led to the creation of uneven roads across the city, which are proving difficult for motorists and bikers to negotiate. To remedy the situation, the additional commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed officials to ensure these stretches are levelled. Motorist Karan Soda said, "At Ram Sawant Chowk in Kurla East, recently fixed roads are in a bad state. There are a lot of bumps, just like small speed breakers. Two-wheeler riders, in particular, are prone to mishaps." "While repairing potholes, they need to level up such patches," Soda added.

Biker Vishal Gala was more concerned about the terrain in Malad. "Due to the poor quality of the road, there is a high probability of accidents on the Western Express Highway. Malad is just an example, but such instances can be found across the city and the suburbs. Bikers need to swerve while negotiating these obstacles. It is difficult to ride a two-wheeler on such uneven roads. It becomes more dangerous at night when craters and bumps suddenly appear in front of a bike or a vehicle," he said.

An uneven stretch at Ram Sawant Chowk in Kurla East on Thursday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Advocate Narendra Dahibawkar, president of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandal's coordination committee, told mid-day, "Ganeshotsav is coming and the BMC has not yet set the roads right. The humps, craters and uneven surfaces create a problem for vehicles carrying idols. We have discussed the issue with the civic body at length, but nothing fruitful seems to have come out of this. There are lots of locations in the city where these humps create issues."

In a meeting on August 23, Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu issued directives to the roads department to fill craters on a war footing. "After repairing potholes at some places, humps are formed. They should be levelled with a milling machine. The local ward team should coordinate with the roads department on this," Velrasu said.

mid-day tried to reach out to Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ulhas Mahale to learn what action has been taken regarding uneven patches, but he did not respond to calls and messages.

Civic activist Sanjay Gurav slammed the BMC, stating, "Potholes are being repaired in an unprofessional manner. This has created problems. Wherever potholes are fixed in the city, uneven roads are created. This is being witnessed on most roads."

Another activist, Anil Galgali, said, "Pothole repairs should have been done properly. As the road has not been levelled, drivers are suffering. There was no rain in August. Even then, the roads were not levelled. Ganeshotsav is going to begin on September 19. Ganapati idols will start arriving. These uneven roads make matters difficult."