The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday fined five contractors Rs 39 lakh for shoddy pothole repairs in the suburbs this monsoon.

After the June 19 rains, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had directed officials to collect samples of material used for pothole repair and have it tested. Subsequently, random samples were collected from the godowns of contractors from all 24 wards in July, which were tested at the BMC’s laboratory in Worli. According to a statement issued by the civic body on Tuesday, samples collected in only three of the 24 wards did not have the necessary bitumen content. This content is supposed to be seven to 10 per cent of the total asphalt mixture and in these three cases, turned out to be less than seven per cent. These include samples from N ward (consisting of Ghatkopar and Vikhroli), K West (Andheri west) and R Central wards (Parts of Kandivali and Borivali).