Ground reality belies BMC claim

MUMBAI: The BMC’s claim that no roads in the suburbs that are under the Defect Liability Period (DLP) have any potholes does not hold water. TOI on Thursday visited N Ward (Ghatkopar) and found potholed stretches on DLP roads in Ghatkopar (East). Craters were seen at Balaji Lane, R N Gandhi Marg and Rajawadi Road.
The BMC earlier reported that as of Tuesday only two DLP roads in the island city had potholed stretches and no roads in the suburbs were cratered.
In the island city, TOI visited G-North Ward (Dadar) and found cratered stretches at Kashinath Dhuru Marg, Kirti College Road and Pandit Gunidas Marg. All are DLP roads. A senior BMC official involved in the management of G-North confirmed that the administration had been told G-North is free of potholes.
DLP roads are those that are still under the maintenance of the contractor who built them. Asphalt roads have a three-year DLP term and cement-concrete roads have a five-year term. Contractors must be fined at least Rs 5,000 for each pothole on a DLP roads and they must do repairs.
There are 1,243 DLP roads in the city, of which the BMC inspected 1,160.
The Ghatkopar (East) roads TOI checked were completed on June 10, 2010 and are under the three-year liability period. “We have much better roads than last year. Most of the DLP roads in Ghatkopar have been taken care of,” said an official in the maintenance department, N Ward. TOI did see a few DLP roads in Ghatkopar (East) -- like Ramban Lane and Jethabhai Lane -- which are in perfect condition. However, in Ghatkopar (West), paver blocks have caved in at the Telephone Exchange lane. In fact, M G Road (West) has bad stretches with potholes at regular intervals. Both the roads remain nder the five-year liability period.
Speaking about G-North, a senior BMC roads department official said, “The DMCs (deputy municipal commissioners) have inspected these roads and I stand by their report. Since the report, there has been heavy rainfall and potholes can come up. If water doesn’t drain, it can make potholes resurface.”
An executive engineer (roads) said, “The ward office rarely attends to complaints on DLP roads. The central agency keeps a check on them.”