Civic body claims to have fixed 90% pothole plaints this year

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday praised themselves for receiving only 1,463 over pothole-related complaints in the last six months. BMC also informed the media that of the 1,463 complaints it managed to resolve 90.70 per cent of the complaints.

However, Mumbaikars have questioned this figure as many of the city roads are still pothole-ridden.

A resident of Chembur, Ajay Shete said, "I wonder which are the areas where the BMC has filled potholes. Even if they have there is no need of taking credit and feeling proud of filling potholes. BMC is a public service provider and it is their duty to provide good roads."

"If the BMC is claiming that it received less pothole complaints than last year, then less people might have registered complaints and BMC has not done its field work. In an area like Pratiksha Nagar, Sion, one will find 1,000 potholes," the resident said expressing his anger.

Civic activist, ALM Rajkumar Sharma said, "It is a shameful act that BMC is taking credit of having 1,463 pothole complaints. BMC should publicly describe its definition of a pothole. Let people know if a bad patch has to be as big as 2 inches or 6 inches to count as a pothole. Even if BMC is claiming that it has filled 90 per cent of the potholes, then what about the bad patches and uneven roads. Roads with paver blocks have worsened the situation? People want levelled roads without bad patches."

"I would appreciate if the BMC takes credit after there are no potholes in the city, no traffic problems, no water logging and enough parking space for everopne."

In a press release, the civic body also informed that it had received 5,000 pothole complaints in the year 2015-16 and 4,000 potholes complaints in 2016-17.