'City road concretisation to be completed by Dec next year'

MUMBAI: Mumbai is witnessing an unprecedented 700 km of roads being concretised in phases at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore. Dug-up roads have long been a major pain point for Mumbaikars, and the current state of relentless dust, debris, and disruptions has left residents wondering if this cycle will ever end. spoke to additional municipal commissioner about the project’s completion deadline and why dug-up roads seem inescapable across the city and what is the civic body's policy for sub standard works done. Excerpts:Mumbai’s road concretisation project is being carried out in two phases. Phase 1 is in full swing, while phase 2 began after the last monsoon, following the issuance of work orders in August 2024. In total, over 700 km of BMC roads are being concretised across both phases. We aim to complete phase 1 by December 2025. Since phase 2 work started less than six months ago, it will take more time, with completion targeted for December 2026.Road concretisation requires traffic diversions, which are implemented only after obtaining necessary permissions from the traffic department. We understand that ongoing work causes inconvenience, which is why we are working to complete it as quickly as possible. However, given the scale of the project, roadworks are happening in multiple locations simultaneously. This creates the impression that roads across the city are constantly dug up.At the outset, let me clarify that the BMC has a zero-tolerance policy for substandard roadwork. We not only insist on the highest quality standards but have also implemented strict mechanisms to ensure compliance. While the Defect Liability Period (DLP) for concrete roads is 10 years, our goal is to build roads that last 20 to 30 years, which is the expected lifespan of cement concrete roads.For phase 2, we have engaged IIT Bombay as a third-party agency to conduct surprise quality checks, from the RMC (Ready-Mix Concrete) plant to the construction site. IIT also conducts various quality tests, and their presence itself acts as a deterrent against poor workmanship.There have been instances in phase 1 where cracks were identified — either by our teams or reported by the media. This is completely unacceptable. Wherever cracks have appeared on newly built roads, contractors have been instructed to redo the work at their own cost, even though we recognise this causes double inconvenience for the public.To ensure accountability, we impose a penalty of twice the repair cost on the contractor. Additionally, third-party quality monitoring agencies, appointed separately from the contractor, are also held responsible. If they fail to ensure quality, penalties are deducted from their fees as well.That said, it’s important to look at the scale of the issue. The total percentage of road panels that have developed cracks is less than 1% in terms of square metres. While we aim for zero defects, this figure indicates that the majority of work is being executed as per standards.Not to say that this is justified, of course. Even one square inch of poor-quality work is not tolerated. However, it is also important to recognise that less than 1% of the total panels have developed cracks.We are taking every possible measure to prevent this in the future. While redoing the roads is an option, it causes avoidable inconvenience to the public. Our focus remains on ensuring that such issues do not arise again.