Forget potholes, BMC can't even fix loose paver blocks

The civic body’s struggles in stopping roads and low-lying areas from flooding, and in fixing choked storm water drains and potholes are well known. Paver blocks too have joined the list.

The civic roads department is finding it too hard to cope with crucial spots on major roads where paver blocks have been popping out, throwing traffic out of gear.

Usually, it’s found that the contractors do a shoddy job of fixing potholes and trenches because they just stuff paver blocks haphazardly. Once a few blocks come out, others get loosened and eventually give way during traffic movement. This then results in big trenches.

Dattatrey Dixit, chief engineer, roads and bridges, however, has claimed that they have been attending to all the potholes and fixing them. “We have been getting complaints about potholes; our engineers too spot the potholes, take pictures, upload them on the software and forward them to the contractor for getting them fixed,” said Dixit.

However, all such tall claims by civic authorities have been proved false with heavy traffic spots -- Parel Naka, Sion hospital junction, Sion Circle, Matunga Circle, SV Road in Borivli, Mahavir Nagar, LT Road, near Plaza Cinema, NC Kelkar Road, outside Sena Bhavan, JK Sawant Road near G-North ward office, and Tilak Bridge Junction -- continuing to face a rough ride.

A senior traffic department official reiterated that potholes and uneven pavered roads could prove disastrous for traffic movement.

“These depressions in roads due to popped out paver blocks at every junction slow down traffic for at least five to 10 minutes. This has a staggering effect on other junctions en route, throwing traffic out of gear and causing a delay of more than an hour for long-distance motorists,” the official added.

Last year, the BMC had decided to take up a few junctions for concretisation. However, the experiment wasn’t completed. Road department had also come up with an idea of strengthening shoulder strips of roads which hold the paver blocks. This was being planned to ensure that blocks don’t come out soon. However, the project was not pursued.