Mumbai’s Monsoon Prep: Potholes and Desilting
BMC’s Plan and Budget for Monsoon
Mumbai is getting ready for the monsoon season. The city’s municipal corporation, BMC, has allocated nearly Rs 154 crore for fixing potholes. This budget is for roads that are not yet concretised. These roads are currently under asphalt or paver blocks.
Road Improvements
Mumbai has seen large-scale road improvements over the past two years. The goal is to make roads pothole-free. BMC officials say this year’s budget is lower than last year’s Rs 205 crore. They see this as a sign of progress.
Public Concerns
Godfrey Pimenta, an advocate and activist, has some concerns. He says that while fixing potholes quickly is important for safety, it’s not a long-term solution. “Temporary fixes should not replace durable improvements,” he states.
BMC officials explain that the budget is necessary. Many roads are still not under the defect liability period (DLP). During the DLP, contractors must maintain the roads.
Citizen’s Questions
Residents have questions about the budget. They argue that with ongoing road improvements, the need for such a large pothole-filling budget should decrease. Mandeep Singh Makkar from Chandivali Citizens Forum asks:
- Why is BMC spending so much on road improvements?
- Why isn’t the work lasting longer?
- How much has been recovered from contractors for poor work?
Dhaval Shah from the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association adds that pothole filling doesn’t last even one monsoon season. He suggests:
- Check how the pothole filling money is spent.
- Use taxpayers’ money wisely.
- Make the defect liability period longer.
- Hold contractors responsible if potholes reappear.
Desilting Work Update
As of June 3, the BMC hasn’t completed all its pre-monsoon desilting work. The public dashboard shows:
- Only 76.96% of the desilting target was achieved.
- 7.46 lakh metric tonnes of silt were removed out of the total estimated 9.69 lakh MT.
- Desilting of the Mithi river was at 55.57%.
Officials blame the delay on a probe into Mithi desilting contracts. The BMC is working hard to catch up. They want to ensure the city is ready for the monsoon season.
