Second excavation at same spot sparks demand for immediate quality check of cement concrete being used and accountability from BMC
The spot that has been dug up again
As the newly constructed cement concrete road at Aarey Milk Colony has been dug up for repairs by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), city-based activist Godfrey Pimenta has demanded an immediate inspection of the quality of cement concrete used in its construction and necessary action to ensure accountability.
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On Sunday, Pimenta sent an email to the Chief Minister’s Office and the municipal commissioner, calling for an inquiry into the repeated digging of Aarey Milk Colony road. In his email, Pimenta stated that Aarey Milk Colony Road has been excavated for the second time at the same location near the Goregaon entry point. He also claimed that debris from the previously laid cement concrete road is still visible at the site.
Debris from the previously laid cement concrete road still visible at the site
“The repeated digging of newly concretised roads strongly indicates substandard construction quality by the contractor. If such practices continue, these recently laid cement concrete roads within Aarey will soon deteriorate, developing potholes and becoming an eyesore. We urge you to conduct an immediate inspection of the quality of cement concrete used in the construction of Aarey road and take necessary action to ensure accountability,” said Adv. Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation.
On Sunday, when this correspondent travelled on the main road of Aarey Milk Colony between Goregaon and Picnic Point, it was observed that the newly made road had been dug up in several places. The ongoing work is causing significant inconvenience to daily commuters and motorists during morning and evening peak hours, with people complaining about traffic jams.
mid-day’s ground reports
On January 28, mid-day published a story (Gone in nine months! Contractor told to fix broken Aarey road), stating that the topmost surface of the newly concreted road had developed cracks in at least 10 spots, prompting the BMC to take action against the contractor. In August 2024, senior BMC officials inspected the road, and the contractor was fined R28.45 lakh for the substandard work.
On December 7, 2023, mid-day had also highlighted how the cement concrete road had developed cracks at several locations. Despite the road having a 10-year defect liability period, the shoddy work has drawn criticism from activists and locals. Officials from the BMC’s road department had assured citizens that the cracks would be repaired.
Tender details
The BMC initiated the concreting of Aarey Milk Colony’s main road—from Goregaon Junction to the L&T Junction in Powai—in 2022, with an expected completion date of 2025. A contract worth R51.6 crore was awarded to the company responsible for the road construction. As per the tender conditions, the road carries a defect liability period of 10 years, with 20 per cent of the contract amount disbursed in equal instalments over a decade post-completion.
The construction of the cement concrete road has been divided between two entities: one handling the stretch from the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to Filter Pada near the S Ward boundary, and the other managing the section from Marol to Picnic Point.
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