5 companies shortlisted to fix potholes on trial

The the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday told the Bombay high court that it has short-listed five companies whose material will be used on a trial basis to repair potholes. The BMC has been under fire in the HC over the pothole issue. BMC counsel Anil Sakhre told the court that the materials supplied by the five companies would be used on trial basis as per technology suggested by the Indian Road Congress and Central Road and Research Institute (CRRI).

The high court had on July 8 rapped the civic body for repairing potholes in an adhoc manner and said the BMC seems to be using sub-standard materials due to which the potholes keep re-appearing.

“We have short-listed five companies who supply materials keeping in view with the technology suggested by the Indian Road Congress and CRRI. These materials will be used on a trial basis to repair potholes. After observing the repaired roads, the civic body will finalise one company,” advocate Sakhre said.

A division bench of justices Shantanu Kemkar and M.S. Karnik was hearing a suo-moto public interest litigation on the issue of increasing number of potholes in the city which was leading to accidents and deaths of motorists.

The bench on Friday also directed the corporation to publicise in newspapers the mobile numbers of road engineers of each of the 24 wards so that citizens can send their complaints about potholes via WhatsApp. “Since the civic body’s mobile application MCGM24*7 is not functioning we feel it appropriate to direct the BMC to publish the mobile numbers of each road engineer of each ward in newspapers. People can send their complaints regarding potholes to these numbers,” the court said.

“We hope and trust that whatever complaint is received by the corporation is forwarded to the authority concerned and necessary action is taken,” the court said. Advocate G.W. Mattos, appearing for MMRDA, told the court that the roads that falls under the MMRDA jurisdiction are potholes-free. To this the court in a lighter vein said the MMRDA should tell the BMC what material it uses to repair. The court also directed an officer concerned from the state government’s Public Works Department to inspect the Western Express Highway as there were several complaints of potholes in that stretch. The court has posted the petition for further hearing on July 29.