The Indian Express             04.06.2013

Civic body to map roads, fill potholes before Ganesh festival

AFTER several complaints during the Ganesh festival last year, BMC aims at being better prepared for repairing potholes, especially on routes used for transporting Ganesh idols.

To boost its pothole tracking system, BMC will map these roads along with others that still fall under Defect Liability Period (DLP).

"We will use GIS mapping for all roads in the city. This will complement the information received from road maintenance management system. We will then be able to identify routes used during Ganesh festival and repair potholes on priority," a senior official with the civic roads department said.

A circular has been issued to assistant municipal commissioners of each ward to compile a list of which roads are used most for carrying the idols. "We expect the mapping and data processing to be completed by early July. The Ganesh festival begins on September 9," said the official.

Last year, during the festive season, citizens had to bear the brunt of pothole-ridden roads across the city. Despite complaints to BMC and the other state agencies, roads were not repaired during the ten-day festival. While transporting Ganesh idols to pandals, organisers put gunny sacks on top of potholes to avoid damage to the idols.

Contractors are given the responsibility of filling potholes on newly-constructed roads as they fall under the Defect Liability Period of three years for asphalt roads and five years for concrete roads. The civic roads department is entrusted with the responsibility of filling potholes on all other roads in the city.

As per the corporation's Road Maintenance Management System (RMMS), a road engineer is allotted a specific length of roads in the city to monitor. The software, designed by Frischmann Prabhu (India) Pvt Ltd, allows citizens to view the area under each engineer's jurisdiction.

By mapping the roads under DLP this year, the corporation and citizens will be able to point out whether road engineers or contractors are responsible for delays in pothole repairs.

Technology challenge

Though the civic administration claims to be monsoon-ready, 269 newly-employed civic engineers still do not know how to use the pothole tracking system and website - www.voiceofcitizen.com.

Despite the onset of pre-monsoon showers, only five new potholes have been reported so far on the website. Civic officials said this may be because some road engineers are yet to be trained in using the technology. "We are holding a two or three-day training workshop for them before the monsoon sets in," an official said.

Engineers and contractors can now record videos using the system. "The potholes reported are sometimes deeper and wider than expected. This requires extra funds. To ensure that the extent of the problem is highlighted, we are including video facility. Citizens, too, also use the software for pothole tracking but it might be cumbersome for them to upload," an official working on the website said.