Hindustan Times 27.03.2010
Stop digging roads by April 30: Civic bodyThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice asking agencies to stop the excavation of city roads by April 30 to ensure that commuting during the monsoon is not a hassle for Mumbaiites.
Keeping in mind ongoing construction of the monorail, metro, skywalks and flyovers, the civic body has asked the agencies building these to stop excavation by April 30 and to bring the work to a safe stage by May 10.
The notice encompasses any kind of digging, repairing and widening roadwork and also takes into account the skywalk projects that Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation are currently working on.
In the notice the civic body's stated that excavated roads get waterlogged during monsoon and add to traffic congestion. "Already the city has to face a lot of traffic jams due to the ongoing work. If this is continued in the monsoons, it will worsen the situation," said a civic official requesting anonymity.
The civic body has made a budget allocation to fix potholes and uneven patches.
"A budget of Rs 40 crore has been set aside to fix potholes," said Swadheen Kshatriya, Municipal Commissioner. BMC has planned to install plaques outside every nullah that is being de-silted.
"The plaques will have information about the agency de-silting the nullah. It will also have the relevant number of people doing the work and the cumulative progress of the work," added Kshatriya.
"This is to ensure the work is carried out in a transparent way," said Additional Municipal R A Rajeev.
Rajeev added that the pumping station at Love Grove in Worli would be operational before monsoon.
Pumping stations provide high-powered pumps to help flush out floodwater from low-lying areas during high tide and sluice gates at the outfalls prevent seawater to come back into the city.
