Mumbai: After Bandra residents rage over uneven roads, BMC reopens repair shop

BMC workers relay the Bandra road after complaints of a shoddy jobMonsoon is around the corner and Bandra residents are worried about the shoddy roads in their area BMCs road department did repairs as part of premonsoon work at St Andrews Road and Mehboob Studio Junction early this month and yet fumed residents the stretches remained pathetic Following the outcry BMC started damage control on Wednesday nightLocal corporator Asif Zakaria had written to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and chief engineer of the road department demanding an inquiry to check the quality of repair work doneThe civic body started relaying St Andrews Road in Bandra after residents complaintsBumps aheadA resident and ALM member of St Andrews Road Residents Association John Soares told midday Earlier this road was made of paver blocks those were removed a couple of years back when the sewerage line below was replaced When the contractor started the repairs we observed that there wasnt enough machinery there were only a handful of labourers and even they lacked the experience for the work One day the contractor suddenly relaid the road with asphalt finishing the work in a hurried and haphazard manner and ultimately doing a shoddy job of itIn monsoon uneven stretches are the first to develop potholes The work should have been monitored by the vigilance department it was apparent that the contractor was not qualified So we wrote to the BMC about itZakaria pointed out similar shoddy repairs carried out on Besant Road in Santacruz and Sherly Rajan Road in Bandra West by the same contractor Zakaria added The repair and resurfacing of St Andrews Road was started under priority as part of premonsoon preparation as the condition of the road was very bad But even now after all the work its still bad incomplete in a few spots uneven water tables loosely fitted various utility and sewerage chambers unevenly higher than the road level causing severe hardship to motoristsResidents have complained that the condition will further deteriorate once rains start Also the work at Mehboob Junction is happening at a snails paceAuthorities pulled upIn his letter dated May 21 Zakaria wrote that the ongoing works are a good example of how the contractors despite stringent guidelines and strict action initiated are continuing to do repairs in the most substandard mannerZakaria on Wednesday also raised the issue in the Standing Committee meeting after which chief engineer of road department Vinod Chithore assured that action would be taken against the contractor if shoddy work was foundWe will check the road again and see If it is not as per standard the work will be redone added Chithore On Wednesday night the BMC started redoing the surface of St Andrews RoadContractor penalisedAssistant Municipal Commissioner of HWest ward Bandra Santacruz Sharad Ughade said After getting complaints I visited the site the contractor has indeed done a very poor job From the work its apparent that he does not have experience of road repair work We have imposed a penalty of Rs 50000 on him and sent two showcause notices Considering monsoon we are not terminating his contract and have asked him to redo the stretch and make it motorable within two days or else action will be initiatedCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates