BMC's imported jet patching machines don't work very well on dry roads, which means they will wait till the monsoons to fill potholes

Mumbai's motorists have been let down again. Earlier this year, the BMC had announced its plans of filling all potholes with an imported machine called the 'jet patching machine'. The work was supposed to have been completed before the monsoon, but once again that will remain a distant dream.

The BMC has suddenly realised that the machines do not work well on dry roads.

On a skid

Just two months back, a confident BMC imported three jet patching machines from the US for Rs 2.34 crore. They were put to use in April and since then, the BMC has filled nearly 200 small potholes. They were in the process of identifying chronic spots when officials from the BMC Road Laboratory felt that the machines would be more effective when used on wet roads.

They concluded that it would be better if the machines were used during the monsoons. A BMC official from the Road Laboratory confirmed this, saying, "It can function better during the monsoon."

Explaining the other logistical problems, he said, "If the machine has to fill even the smallest of potholes, the entire road has to be blocked for vehicular traffic. This can be done only during the night." Also, transporting these machines in the night poses a problem. Hence, several potholes cannot be attended too at the same time.

At the moment two of the three machines, which are meant for the city, are lying unused, while the third is being used to fill potholes in the western suburbs.

Not true

The BMC, however, denied the problems. S Joshi, chief engineer (roads), BMC, said he didn't received any complaints about the machines.

V Kambli, deputy chief engineer, roads (city), insisted, "The jet patching machine works well both during rains and dry weather. We don't have many potholes now in the city and so they are lying unused."

Machin(e)ations
The jet-patching machine works on compaction arrangements. The machine cleans the potholes with compressed air and then fills them with asphalt. The machines were tested for nearly a month at BMC's Worli lab and then moved to their workshop at Mumbai Central.

18
The number of wards that are chronic pothole spots. Khar, Kurla, Yari Road, Bandra, Borivli and Chembur have been identified as the most vulnerable spots.

Rs 34 cr
BMC's budget for pothole maintenance this year, up from last year's Rs 29 crore