Despite the fact that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) repaired almost 2,000 potholes in the past two weeks, more such pit holes were spotted in the city by the recent intense rains. In spite of the guardian minister's pledge, the civic authority has failed to meet the August 18 deadline and is already behind schedule in filling up the craters.
Roads marked with potholes continue to be a source of grievance for Ganesh festival coordinators as the month's last weekend is approaching. Three weeks before the Ganesh celebration begins on September 7, large mandals bring their idols. Suburban Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha gave the corporation instructions to patch potholes before August 18 - the day the large idols begin to move to pandals to make room for ambient decorations - during a meeting with BMC officials on August 6.
Even on August 14, when Ganesh mandal leaders met with the chief minister, municipal officials promised to begin a large-scale pothole filling initiative. The BMC's pothole count was 13,413 on August 6 (140 unfilled), but by August 13, it had risen to 16,145, with 148 still unfilled. Despite barely two days of significant rain, more than 2,350 potholes were added to the list in the last two weeks. Official statistics show that as of August 27, 18,499 potholes had been reported, 88 of which still needed to be fixed.
They have been tackling potholes and bad patches despite two meetings with the authorities and assurances from the officials, stated Naresh Dahibaonkar of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti. The general public accuses Ganesh processions of causing traffic jams, but we humbly clarify that the real cause is uneven terrain, fallen trees, overhead wires, and poor patches. Volunteers who handle idols must exercise extreme caution. He said that it is made more challenging by the flyovers' drain water and horizontal signals.
During the sessions, the Akhil Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mahasangh also brought up the problem of uneven spots and potholes. This year, potholes are also a huge worry. For this, a standard operating procedure ought to be established.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar stated that Ward-level engineers have been asked to fill in problematic sections on roads as part of a big push that is presently ongoing. Furthermore, the authorities have been collaborating with Ganesh Mandalis and promptly addressing their issues and consideration is given to their suggestions as well. He said that the civic body will be cautious for the next ten days to make room for Ganesh idols, even if the weekend's intense rains created more potholes.
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