Continued from page 01 While the BMC makes financial provisions for several infrastructural projects, it pays more attention to some of the departments like roads, bridges, stormwater drainage and water.
As per official data, the civic body spends more than one- fourth of its funds every year for such projects. In the last six years, except 2016- 17, the total expense on roads each year has been more than R 1,000 crore. The civic body has spent R 28,260 crore on infrastructural projects from March 2014 to December 2019, out of which R 7,219 crore ( 25.5 per cent) was spent on construction of cement concrete roads, asphalt roads, renovation of junctions and resurfacing of roads.
However, even after spending such a huge portion of the funds, the city roads are far from being pothole- free.
According to BMC sources, it filled 1,472 potholes in September 2019 under the u2018 Monsoon Road Potholes Challengeu2019. However, data further reveals that the civic body plans to spend another R 1,600 crore of the taxpayersu2019 money, 9 per cent more than 2019- 20, in the upcoming financial year for repair and construction of roads. In other words, it will spend R 4.4 crore each day for the purpose for the whole of the next fiscal year.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Road Department official said, u201c There are multiple reasons why potholes appear on roads.
Heavy rain and traffic are not the only ones. Roads have a number of utilities underneath. They are dug up several times and are not filled properly post work. It damages the structure, allows water to penetrate and ultimately results in potholes.u201d The defect liability period ( DLP) for asphalt roads is five years whereas the DLP for cement concrete roads is 10 years. The BMC has introduced a deferred payment system in which 40 per cent of the cost would be dispersed in phases during DLP to ensure the contractors make better roads.
u201c Being involved in corruption by choosing the same contractors over years, lack of supervision and reluctance to use new technologies are the three major reasons behind the pathetic condition of roads in the city,u201d said activist Nikhil Desai. He added that the civic body does not work to put all the utilities inside one duct so that frequent digging of roads is not necessary.
BMC had spent R 3.45crore/ day on roads for past 6 yrs Potholes on the road outside Bandra East railway station being filled. FILE PIC Expenditure on roads Financial Year Spending on Roads ( in R cr) 2014- 15 1,988 2015 - 16 1,649 2016- 17 458 2017- 18 g 1,092 2018- 19 1,259 2019- 20 ( till Dec 2019) 773 Total 7,219 Per day expenditure 3.44 Pothole- free roads still remain a distant dream even though the civic body spends more that one fourth of the funds on road projects every year
