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HC expresses hope of pothole-free roads this year, questions civic body

A division bench of justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik said, "A major problem during every monsoon that the city faces is of potholes. Various agencies dig up the roads but don't restore them, Mumbaikars suffer silently, ignoring traffic jams and potholes."

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We hope that this year the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ensures that potholes which surface on city roads every year are repaired on an urgent basis, the Bombay High Court said on Tuesday.

A division bench of justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik said, "A major problem during every monsoon that the city faces is of potholes. Various agencies dig up the roads but don't restore them, Mumbaikars suffer silently, ignoring traffic jams and potholes."

The bench made this observation while hearing a suo moto public interest litigation on the issue of potholes following a letter written by HC judge Gautam Patel. On May 20, 2015, the HC had observed that citizens have a fundamental right to good roads and that it is the state government's statutory obligation to provide pothole-free roads.

The court had in its order mentioned that state and agencies should have websites in such a way that citizens can upload photos of roads and track their complaints. Complaints can be made in writing to the designated centres, calling on toll-free numbers and through SMSes from mobile phones. Even photos of potholes can be uploaded on these websites.

Counsel for the BMC Anil Sakhare informed the court that the website started for citizens to complain has been shut down due to technical problems and now citizens can file complaints on the civic body's Facebook page, operational since March 30. It was further said that before the monsoon road repair works would be carried out and that though it is an ongoing process, major roads would be repaired by May 30.

The court also appointed advocate Jamshed Mistry to appear as amicus curiae on the next date and give suggestions/recommendations to the court. The court has now posted the matter for further hearing in June and directed the BMC to file a compliance report on the steps taken to ensure setting up of a redressal mechanism.

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