Focus must be on reducing potholes, say members of the standing committee.
Faced with criticism for the poor condition of roads in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said it plans to issue tenders worth Rs1,002 crore for improvement of city streets by the end of next month.
Replying to the queries raised by members of the civic standing committee during a meeting on Wednesday, chief engineer (roads), Dattatray Dixit said the BMC has put in place a programme to complete road works.
As part of the plan, the civic body will carry out asphalt works worth Rs240 crore covering 68 roads in the island city and 43 in eastern suburbs. Besides, the department will issue tenders costing Rs73 crore for concretising roads in eastern suburbs. In the island city, 103 minor roads will be improved at a cost of Rs97 crore. It has also decided to undertake concretisation of 37 roads in the western suburbs at an estimated cost of Rs482 crore and cover 35 junctions in parts of Mumbai at an estimated cost of Rs110 crore.
Discussing the issue during the committee meeting, chairman Rahul Shewale said the roads department should present the “master plan” it has prepared, for improving the city roads, before the panel members. “We don’t want the department to repeat its mistakes,” Shewale said.
City residents had to face a tough ride during the monsoon this year after the corporation issued tenders only towards the end of 2012-13.
Meanwhile, the committee members demanded that the department focus on reducing complaints pertaining to potholes. To attain the same, the BMC should avoid using paver blocks, members said. They also insisted on the department having proper co-ordination with utility service providers, who dig roads to lay cables/pipelines underneath.
In addition to this, corporators want the roads department to take care of all major and minor roads.
Mumbaikars had to struggle getting their complaints resolved as the civic body had allotted repairs of major roads to a central agency (roads department), while that of minor roads (less than 30-ft wide) to local wards offices.
Money matters
The civic body will carry out asphalt works worth Rs240 crore covering 68 roads in the island city and 43 in eastern suburbs. The department will issue tenders costing Rs73 crore for concretising roads in eastern suburbs. In the island city, 103 minor roads will be improved at a cost of Rs97 crore. It has also decided to undertake concretisation of 37 roads in the western suburbs at an estimated cost of Rs482 crore and cover 35 junctions.
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