Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Mumbai City Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde recently visited multiple locations across the city to review the progress of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) road concretization efforts. During his visit, he directed the Municipal Corporation Administration to strictly adhere to the deadline of completing pothole-free roads by May 31. The inspection began near Bombay Hospital in South Mumbai and continued through the Central and Eastern suburbs.
Shinde emphasized that the junction-to-junction concreting work must be finished within the stipulated time, warning that strict action would be taken against those responsible if there is any compromise in quality. He personally inspected the ongoing concrete road works in Mumbai city and its Eastern suburbs.
Under the Pothole-Free Roads Project, approximately 400 kilometers of road concreting remain in progress. The BMC aims to complete these works by May 31, ensuring they meet high-quality standards. Shinde stressed that any quality lapses would lead to stringent penalties. The works are planned to be finished before the monsoon season to ensure roads are safe and usable. Additionally, he instructed that manholes and sewage channels along the roads should be cleaned as a priority.
So far, 1,333 kilometers of roads have been concreted, with the remaining work divided into two ongoing phases.
Accompanying Shinde during the inspection were Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister for Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Co-Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban District; BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani; Additional Municipal Corporation Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar; Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic) Girish Nikam; and other officials.
The inspection commenced in the afternoon near Bombay Hospital in the A sector, followed by reviews of roadworks on R S Sapre Marg in C sector, Jame Jamshed Marg in the Matunga area of F North sector, and Road No. 21 in Chembur, M West sector. Shinde also interacted with local residents during his visit.
He noted that compromising on quality during road construction would not be tolerated. The Municipal Corporation has already imposed fines totaling Rs. 3.5 crore on contractors responsible for substandard work. Shinde clarified that future violations by contractors would lead to disqualification. Officials are committed to ensuring that roads meet the expected standards, and action will be taken against those who delay the work.
Shinde further stated that the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai (IIT Mumbai) has been appointed as a third-party agency to monitor the quality of the road works. Municipal engineers are overseeing the work onsite, and senior officials including the Additional Municipal Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner are working with collective responsibility.
He also emphasized that concrete road construction should not harm the environment. Proper care must be taken to protect trees by installing circular fences and protective nets. Furthermore, a tree plantation campaign should be launched with local citizen participation during the monsoon season.
News source: Bhaskar English
