Mumbai: BMC has directed its ward-level officials to ensure that all pothole-related complaints in the city are resolved within 24 hours.Additional municipal commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar instructed engineers to make sure that potholes are repaired strictly as per the prescribed technical standards and quality norms, and that damaged road patches are resurfaced without delay. The directions were issued during a review meeting of the roads and traffic department at the civic headquarters on Friday. According to BMC, nearly 1,700km of the total 2,000km of roads in Mumbai have already been concretised. Remaining stretches are currently under progress and are scheduled for completion after the monsoon, said officials.Bangar also directed ward-level secondary engineers to carry out regular inspections of two-wheelers and proactively identify road damage instead of waiting for citizens’ complaints. Each of the 227 appointed beat engineers has been tasked with daily field visits to ensure timely pothole detection and repairs.The civic body has also instructed contractors to use scientifically approved methods, including mastic laying, to ensure durability of repairs. Officials have been asked to monitor availability of equipment, material, and repair schedules, and to address potholes when they are still small to prevent further road damage.BMC reiterated that pothole repairs on roads under the defect liability period must be carried out by contractors at their own costs and no payment will be made for such work. Action, including penalties, will be taken if pothole formation is found to be excessive on such stretches.Key arterial roads such as Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway and Eastern Freeway have been placed under strict monitoring to ensure they remain pothole-free. The civic body has encouraged citizens to use the MyBMC MARG complaint system, allowing users to upload photos and location details of potholes for faster redressal.
