Ek ya anek? According to BMC, these potholes in Chembur will be counted as one pothole location. FILE PIC

Even as the chief minister has asked the BMC to pay Rs 1,000 per pothole for those who find them, the civic body has no clear definition of a pothole. "It is difficult to count potholes. Any depression on the road is a pothole, but we count pothole locations, not every single palm-sized depression on a road. For example, all the potholes on one road are counted as one pothole location," said a senior engineer from the roads and traffic department of the BMC.

Said Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak, "The CM's recommendation is very idealistic. We will have to take the standing committee's approval if the amount that we have to pay people for spotting potholes exceeds Rs 10 lakh. Also, if we can have good roads by punishing contractors, then why reward people for finding potholes."

The Shiv Sena corporators also do not agree with the CM's suggestion. "For the sake of money, people may just dig up roads and ask BMC to pay them for finding a pothole," said Sunil Prabhu, Shiv Sena leader in the BMC.

Meanwhile, the contractors are back to using conventional methods of filling potholes. "We are using asphalt macadam. We will use a bit of carbon core on top of it. We tried our best to use the technology, but it is not working and the deadline is approaching," said a contractor. Till now, the BMC has collected Rs 10 lakh from contractors for not solving the potholes problem.

The number of pothole locations detected till date this year remains 9,014 and the pothole locations attended to are pegged at 8,818. The BMC has promised to give Mumbaikars pothole-free roads before Ganeshutsav.

"After floods, potholes have become the priority for us. All the major roads will be pothole-free by Ganesh Chaturthi," said Phatak.

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Call 1916 or 108 to report potholes in your area. To call from your mobile phone, dial 022 followed by 1916/108