'DNA' impact: MMRDA swings into action, starts filling potholes on busy road

A few days after DNA reported the pathetic state of Andheri-Kurla road, on which dotted potholes are set to make for a bumpy ride during monsoon, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun the work of laying paver blocks on the busy stretch.

While confirming that the agency  has been carrying out “some road repair work for the past few days”, Andheri (E) coordinator of Action for good Governance and Networking in India (Agni) James John hoped it will be completed at the earliest, given that the monsoon is here.”

DNA had on June 4 reported the lackadaisical attitude of MMRDA towards monsoon preparedness. In the report, the poor state of the Andheri-Kurla road, which faces huge traffic flow, was reported as having potholes at places like   Leela Penta hotel and the Marol fire brigade, apart from the piling up of debris lying at a few places along the road.

While MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar promised that the paver block work will be completed soon, James pointed out that the ongoing work seemed to be of temporary nature and of poor quality. “It is quite possible that it is  washed away and the road return to its current state after a few heavy showers during monsoon,” said James, adding that, “Such work is of little help to citizens and is waste of public money.” He further questioned why the MMRDA was not fast-tracking the work, which is non-technical in nature. “All they need to do is employ more labourers,” he said.
Metro One spokesperson said the agency has begun with the debris-removal work, which will continue during the monsoon as well