Mumbai: In a review meeting at BMC headquarters on Monday, civic authorities instructed all 227 ward-level sub-engineers to carry out daily inspections, identify potholes, and ensure timely repairs before deterioration.
Officials warned of strict action in case of negligence. Use of cold mix is barred on roads wider than six metres; only mastic asphalt is allowed. Additionally, select roads will feature geo-polymer concrete to enhance durability.
The meeting held by Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani was attended by Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar, Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shashank Bhore, Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic) Girish Nikam, and other senior road engineers. Each of the 227 ward-level sub-engineers is responsible for overseeing a road stretch of 10 to 15 kilometers.
Bangar instructed them to avoid merely working from their offices and instead remain active in the field, ensuring direct supervision of pothole conditions to keep them under control. He emphasised that conducting inspections on foot or by two-wheelers, rather than from vehicles, will help better assess road conditions and enable timely repairs.
Gagrani emphasised, “No pothole forms overnight. They must be repaired when they are just 6 to 12 inches wide. Waiting for complaints before taking action is unacceptable.”
Road engineers were instructed to fill potholes in a neat square shape with smooth edges, avoiding any unevenness. For roads wider than six meters, cold mix should not be used; repairs must be carried out exclusively with mastic asphalt. Additionally, officials were directed by Bangar to use geo-polymer concrete on select roads to ensure greater durability.
Civic authorities have mandated that pothole-filling equipment, particularly the mastic cooker, be readily available at the zonal level. Contractors have been instructed to closely monitor the production and availability of mastic, ensuring timely and adequate supply.
To maintain transparency and accountability, mastic cooker vehicles will be equipped with GPS-based tracking systems. Bangar clarified, “Use of GPS on mastic cooker vehicles is mandatory, and any work carried out by vehicles without GPS tracking will not be eligible for payment.”
The BMC has already concretised 1,333 km of roads across Mumbai and plans to concretise an additional 700 km in two phases under a Rs. 17,000-crore mega project. This monsoon, nearly Rs. 154 crore has been allocated for pothole repairs on roads still surfaced with asphalt or paver blocks.
