One has to commend the consistency with which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation promises to rid the city's roads of potholes before the heavens open up.
One has to commend the consistency with which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation promises to rid the city's roads of potholes before the heavens open up.
As every year, the civic body has assured citizens of a smoother ride on even roads. But this time, it says it has a better shot at delivering. For, in a first, the roads department has used up nearly 90% of its budget allocated last year, and it is claiming to have completed work on nearly 600 cement concrete (CC) and asphalt roads.As per the data provided by BMC, the roads department has spent Rs2,028.73crore of the consumable amount of Rs2315.31 crore, leaving Rs286.58 crore as the remaining amount. The data reveals that in 2011, 40.6% of the budget was used, while in 2012, 67% of the available budget was utilised.
In 2013, 65.8% of the available budget was utilised, while by the end of the last financial year, the BMC has managed to spend nearly 87.6 per cent of the budget.
Additional municipal commissioner SVR Srinivas, in charge of the roads department, said, "More than potholes, we are aiming at improving the quality of roads. We are carrying out roadwork as per the master plan for roads. We plan to complete another 70 to80 by May."
He said that unlike previous years, when 40% of the capital expenditure was spent on filling craters, last year, only 2% of it was spent for the purpose, as the number of potholes came down to nearly 16,000 from the earlier 42,000.
Stymied by the back-breaking roads for years, residents, though , sounded sceptical. Anil Joseph, a Bandra-based civic activist said it is difficult to expect good roads this monsoon too.
"Other countries have service ducts at the end of their roads, which are lifted while putting in utilities. Here, throughout the year, roads are being dug-up multiple times for different purposes, which damages the road completely creating depressions. Either the BMC should adopt the service duct method, else a specific time of the year should be fixed to carry out these works," Joseph said.
Srinivas, however, said that the heavy fining module which is part of the recent trenching policy will deter unnecessary trenching of roads. "A deadline of May 20 has been fixed for resurfacing all trenches," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}