Despite spending crores of rupees on pothole filling every year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) does not have a proper method to repair potholes on city roads.
Despite spending crores of rupees on pothole filling every year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) does not have a proper method to repair potholes on city roads. The fact came to light after a ward officer asked the civic roads department to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for filling potholes.
In a letter to chief engineer (roads), Ramakant Biradar, assistant commissioner of G-North ward, has demanded an SOP for pothole repairs at the ward level. He has also said that the material received from the Worli asphalt plant for pothole filling was not up to the mark.
“In G-North ward, the pothole filling work is on at Dadar, for which asphalt madacam is supplied by the Worli asphalt plant. However, after filling potholes with this material, it is observed that macadam and asphalt is getting separated even after little rain. Hence potholes reappear again on the roads. The Worli asphalt plant should prepare a seal coat for pothole filling work,” Mr Biradar said in his letter.
In addition to this, an SOP should be prepared at the ward level, which will help us carry out pothole repair work in a technically proper way, he said.
Mr Biradar’s letter comes in the wake of MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande’s threat to ‘kidnap’ him if he failed to tackle the problem of potholes in his ward.
The ward officer denied his letter had anything to do with MNS’ threat. He said that the SOP for pothole filling existed, but it needed improvement. He also refuted that the material received for pothole filling work is sub-standard.
“I have demanded that we should receive both the types of material for pothole repairs, thick as well as thin, in equal measures. The thin material used for making seal coat on potholes is supplied in less quantity. Hence, I have said that the asphalt plant should prepare a seal coat for filling potholes,” he said.
