21 April,2011 06:56 AM IST | | Neha More and Basilica Gomes
After MiD DAY reported on the abject condition of Pant Nagar Station Road and Orlem Lane, the BMC has taken swift action, but the job done is slipshod
In the MiD DAY impact story published on Monday, the Pant Nagar Station Road at Ghatkopar was listed as one of the severely damaged roads in Mumbai, with a spot opposite the Pragati Vadapav Centre having a particularly large pothole. It was also reported that a trench at Orlem Lane was filled in only with temporary material. The BMC has taken prompt action to remedy these roads. At all the stretches, however, the BMC has filled the craters only temporarily with mud and gravel.u00a0
Shoddy work: Altough the BMC has taken prompt action to remedy
potholed roads, the craters have only been filled temporarily with mud
and gravel. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi
The Pant Nagar Station Road is dug up all along the sides, in order to enable the renovation of drainpipes. The area is quite an eyesore for commutersu00a0-- one can see debris lying all over the road. A section of the road has been cordoned off from the public. The work in that section is expected to be concluded in a week's time.
However, the potholes on the roads which are still in use, have been filled in a rather slipshod manner. An auto driver in the area (name withheld) complained, "The BMC does this every time. They fill the easy spots, and leave the difficult ones."
The spot at the Pant Nagar Station Road, where the pothole was filled only with gravel and mud, is located at a T-junction, as a result of which vehicles are facing trouble when changing directions. The situation has not improved at all, since the earlier depression at the spot has now been replaced by an equally troublesome elevation.
A BMC official, on condition of anonymity, said, "The problem has been fixed temporarily. The road repair work starts in a week, during which proper filling will be done." The Pant Nagar Station Road, which is made of paved blocks, was repaired during the rains last year, informed a local shop owner.
The edges of the road have caved in entirely, and it has becoming increasingly difficult for motorists to drive their vehicles in the area. Moreover, the BMC has leveled the road by only using mud to fill in the depressions. This is sure to wear out in a few days. Kunal Jadav, a commuter who has to commute to attend his coaching classes in Malad, said, "I travel here daily on my bike. It is a pain driving in this stretch." An owner of a nearby shop, said on condition of anonymity, "Bike riders lose their balance in these potholes and sometimes even fall.
They also skid many a time because of the unevenness and the small stones on the road. The BMC does this every year. Roads are repaired shoddily during the monsoon, and neglected for the rest of the year. We only see them when another monsoon is round the corner."
The Other Side
An official from the P North Ward office, said, "A power company is laying cables on the road and the entire stretch will be filled in with proper materials in two or three days, after the laying of cables is completed."
He added, "The work of repairing potholes will be initiated next week, with contractors having been roped in for the same."
