The Indian Express 03.04.2013
Pre-monsoon patchwork to cost BMC Rs 40 crore
With concretisation and asphalting of roads beset by inordinate delays, BMC has now decided to spend an additional Rs 40 crore on resurfacing uneven and pothole-ridden roads before this monsoon.
The civic body had begun the mammoth task of concretisation and asphalting roads entailing an expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore, but the process has been delayed due to issues of blacklisted contractors and red tape. The task was scheduled to begin in January with at least half of the work expected to be complete before monsoon. However, work has not even begun in south Bombay and the eastern suburbs.
"We will resurface and repair uneven roads to avoid potholes during monsoon. After monsoon, the project to concretise and asphalting of these roads will be completed," said a senior civic road official.
"We are spending funds before monsoon, but this will ensure there are less potholes during rains. Additional funds can be made available if needed during monsoon," said Rahul Shewale, Standing Committee chairman and Shiv Sena corporator.
BMC has set aside additional funds over and above the Rs 40 crore for pothole repair for this financial year. "We can spend an additional Rs 60 crore during monsoon for road repair work," said Shewale.
Last year, BMC had allotted Rs 40 crore for road repair, to be spent in three phases during monsoon. But the funds were exhausted in the first phase before the rainy season. The civic administration spent an additional Rs 17.38 crore on filling pothole during monsoon.
Though BMC had awarded road contracts last year, the work is way behind deadline, admit officials. Civic officials said they now have less than two months to undertake road construction work; concretisation and asphalting of roads will stop during monsoon (from June until November this year).
In the western suburbs, only 30 per cent of road construction work has been completed.
Work on south Mumbai roads was delayed following a directive from the Chief Minister to cancel contracts of blacklisted firms. The contracts for eastern suburbs have been delayed due to technical reasons, said officials.
Major road repairs in south Mumbai were put on hold for over a month by BMC, which was deliberating whether to award a contract to a firm that was under the scanner. Though the contract was awarded to the same firm, work on these roads was yet to begin, said officials.
The contract was part of a Rs 530-crore bouquet of road repair and construction projects in south Mumbai.
In the eastern suburbs, the process to appoint contractors for concretisation of 24 roads at a cost of around Rs 85 crore and asphalting of 106 roads at cost of Rs 168 crore is yet to be completed.
