Let us see potholes, shoddy roads become a thing of past

Concrete roads last for decades, say civic officials. File pic

The BMC has planned to concretise Mumbai roads, with a focus on cementing the asphalt strips on both sides, to facilitate laying of utility cables.

After some pilot projects, the BMC plans to spend R2,200 crore on fully concretising the roads. There were also around 40 proposals submitted for road improvement. The focus is on improving the quality of Mumbai's network of roads. One must stress that the big Q - quality.

For years now, we have had debates and fierce exchanges when it comes to our roads. From the Opposition, whichever party it may be, in the state government, to citizens' complaints, it has been road rumpus.

Citizens have come to the end of their tether when it is about roads in the city. From potholes, the most common bugbear to unfinished work, the litany of valid woes seem endless.
Let us see unwavering will, broad vision and action to finish the problems, given the many challenges, once and for all.

Let authorities work so that one does not need to dig up newly done work, for some reason or the other. There cannot and should not be vigilantes from outside pointing out this blacklisted contractor or that one, getting a contract once again. It simply should not exist, period.

Finally, let us bury the pothole problem and this time, for good. Whatever the reason for roads falling apart, we need to get to the root, weed out the rot and replace it with a viable, watertight solution so that the potholes become a thing of the past.

Today, there are several projects planned for Mumbai and there is a big thrust on connectivity. We need to put quality over quantity. New roads may be needed but make those top notch and see that problems are addressed and dealt with for the old ones. Let us close the tiresome road problem, as it has festered for too long.