Residents hit the streets as craters surface on Aarey road

The washed away 1.8-km stretch between Mayur Nagar and Aarey Market Junction

Hope and relief brought by the 2022 refurbishing of a 1.8-km road in Aarey Colony was washed away in just two-three days of rain, which brought back crater-sized potholes. Local residents staged a protest, demanding that the authorities give them permanent relief from potholes.

The 1.8-km road from Aarey Market Junction to Mayur Nagar and Royal Palms was refurbished in May last year, but could hold out against only one monsoon. The rains this year left numerous potholes, many as huge as craters.

A group of local residents gathered four days back to protest against the poor condition of the road. They have demanded a safe road that can withstand more than just one monsoon.

The 1.8-km stretch between Mayur Nagar and Aarey Market Junction

Main demand

Their main demand is that the BMC take over the maintenance responsibility from the Aarey CEO office. The process has begun, but the residents want them to work quickly. According to a letter by the agriculture, dairy development and fisheries department, the chief minister has approved the handover to the BMC.
Other roads in Aarey Colony are no better. Potholes on many roads, even at Royal Palms neighbourhood, have not been fixed for a long time, residents alleged. "To cross a 5-km road towards Goregaon, we leave two hours in advance due to potholes. Why are we paying property tax 38 per cent more than in the other parts of Mumbai? The road to Powai is worse," said Bharat Palam, a resident.

Poor roads a threat

Anand Sharma, another resident, said he lost his father-in-law because the ambulance could not reach them in time owing to bad roads. "He had lung fibrosis and we wasted an hour looking for an ambulance. Eventually, I drove him to the hospital, where the doctor said we didn't make it in time to save him," he added.

A paan waala and a food stall owner claimed that they saw a 80 per cent jump in profits after the road was fixed in May last year, as more people stopped by while travelling on the road. Most importantly, the transportation costs came down due to even roads and we could keep more varieties, said a vegetable vendor.

Std XII student Pratik Yadav said his family is hoping he would get into a medical college to pursue MBBS, but "I have missed classes, which has affected my grades in school. I can't even cope with exam stress through extracurricular activities, because I spend most of the time travelling."

Palam said they have repeatedly approached the BMC commissioner, the contractor and the authorities concerned for a permanent solution, but there has been no response. Residents had written to them again last month, he added.

"My 82-year-old mother's spinal cord got compressed due to the bad roads. We wasted 45 minutes for an ambulance. Because it arrived late, she had to stay in the ICU for a week. She is so scared that she does not want to stay with me," he added.

Dadarao Bilhore, who is famously known as ‘pothole baba', told mid-day that since his son's death in a pothole accident in 2015, he has filled over 1,500 potholes across the city. The solution to this reoccurring problem is cement roads, he said.

Aarey CEO Balasaheb Wakchauredid not respond to mid-day's request for comment.

May
Month in 2022 the 1.8 km road was fixed