Mumbai, 29 October, 2016 (GPN) : Just ahead of the civic polls Sena Chief and the MCGM bandwagon is grappled with Penguins and Potholes issue of Mumbai in the spar of media headlines nationally.

In the wake of directives by the High Court, BMC Improvements Committee Chairman and Ward102-T Corporator Prakash Gangadhare promised that he will cognisantly look towards the dilapidated state of the roads in Mumbai and will plan for immediate action.

Earlier this month over 4,200 civic engineers submitted their resignations to the municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta on being irked by MNS corporators Sandeep Deshpande and Sanjay Dhuri who had forced Sanjay Darade, chief engineer of roads department of BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) to hold up a placard saying, ‘Citizens should note that I am responsible for potholes’.

Prakash Gangadhare in his proposal for the next committee meeting highlighted the urgent need in ensuring quality repair work of the potholes with the genuine efforts from both municipal corporation and repair contractors in making safe hassle free roads in Mumbai the financial and commercial capital hub of India.

Every year during the monsoon and thereafter owing to umpteen number of potholes municipal authorities face the irk and tantrums of it’s citizens.Inspite of spending over approx 2000 crores of rupees annually on road repair and maintenance the pothole menace continues.

In the present scenario the tenders issued to Contractors specify that the contractor should have their own mortar and concrete mixing plant for production of the required M40 rigid Concrete grade readymix and also the Contractors shall set up a quality test laboratory at site before commencement of work for performing various tests.
Given these conditions the Contractors have the liberty to use low inferior quality M20 grade readymix material with adulterated material and also cut down on the costs by using less material than required.This has resulted in loosing control over the Contractors who have become the ‘Master’s of their will’ and are solely responsible for the pathetic condition of the roads.
Alongside the Contractors the present Tender Rules are also unanimously responsible for the situation and some changes are cited in revoking the Tender Rules.
Procurement of High grade M40 concrete be ensued and new technology like Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) to be accepted.It is virtually maintenance free.The initial cost of CRCP is high, but as it is maintenance free, and lasts for decades, overall cost of CRCP is less as compared to other type of reinforced concrete pavements.

It should be made mandatory that The Municipality or repair contractors should buy their repair materials from reputed companies like ACC Cements, L&T Ultratech, Lafrez, RMC India etc,” he told GPN network, Sachin Murdeshwar in his MCGM office in Mumbai on Friday, adding “Also, tendered contractors should compulsorily purchase the relevant quality and quantity of M-40 concrete grade and other materials from BMC or from any Statutory body appointed by MCGM for carrying out repair work, instead of using low-quality M-20 grade materials as done in the past.

The qualified civic engineers should also conduct detailed inspection to certify the repair work done by these contractors , he said while brushing off suggestions about employing foreign technology in repairing Mumbai’s potholes and stating that not all technologies suited the city’s roads.

Commenting on the forthcoming civic polls BJP Corporator and Chairperson of BMC improvements committee Prakash Gangadhare said, “After securing the largest number of seats (15) and piping Shiv Sena (14) to the second spot in Mumbai in the state Assembly polls, the BJP plans to rule the richest corporation in the country in its own. The civic party leaders have openly vowed that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from the BJP.Hence, the party is making all out efforts to strengthen its base in the city.