Mumbai: Civic authorities have instructed the officials to ensure that newly constructed footpaths alongside concrete roads are inclusive and disable-friendly. They must feature smooth, obstacle-free surfaces to enable safe and hassle-free movement for persons with disabilities. Importantly, tactile paving with vertical and horizontal lines must be incorporated to guide visually impaired individuals, helping them navigate and detect potential hazards.
Additional Muncipal Commissioner (project) Abhijit Bangar inspected the ongoing cement concreting work in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday night. The areas covered include the roads around Holy Angels High School and Junior College in Mulund (East), the Customs Colony in Powai, the old market area in Hiranandani, Saki Vihar Road, and Shell Colony in Chembur Co-operative Nagar.
Currently, the work of laying the PQC (Precast Concrete) is underway and expected to be completed within the next seven days, after which the focus will shift to completing the final stages of the remaining roadworks. Bangar inspected the challenging locations in the road construction work. and addressed the concerns of local engineers and provided the necessary instructions to resolve issues.
He emphasised that the final stage components of road constructionāsuch as thermoplastic markings, cat eyes, direction boards, traffic safety signs, and junction gridsāmust be of high quality and should not be compromised.
Bangar also instructed officials to prepare a detailed Google Sheet listing all the essential finishing elements required for concrete roads and to ensure meticulous completion of each item.
During his inspection of the roads near Holy Angels High School and Junior College in Mulund (East), Bangar observed that filling joints with bitumen was distorting the appearance of the road. He instructed officials to avoid this and recommended the mandatory use of Abro tape when applying silicone sealant or bitumen to fill joints.
While inspecting road at Powai, it was noted that the presence of chambers at regular intervals on the footpaths created uneven surfaces, which conflict with the principles of universal accessibility.
"In such cases, if a chamber cover falls within the tactile paving zone, we need to consult experts to ensure the design remains inclusive," said Bangar.
At Saki Vihar, during road construction, a basin-like depression measuring 450 mm in depth has formed between two endpoints 90 meters apart, causing water accumulation. Bangar directed that this section be raised using concrete filling, with the work to be carried out after the monsoon season.
