According to figures in the tracking system, a total 28,257 potholes
have been reported since June. Of these, 25,105 potholes had been filled
till Friday evening. However, the figure is a conservative estimate as a
number of potholes in the city have gone unreported.

Under fire for the pothole mess, the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC) had set a deadline of August 25 to fill all potholes
before the festive season begins. “I have asked all contractors to
increase their manpower and machinery to close potholes immediately,”
additional municipal commissioner SVR Srinivas had said. The standing
committee had been assured that all of the city’s potholes would be
filled before the deadline.

But the additional municipal commissioner changed his stand on
Friday. “We had said that all potholes on the procession routes will be
filled; I believe they are all smooth now,” he said.

In the meanwhile, the civic body and the utility agencies have been
involved in a blame game. Private agencies that have been asked to
refill the potholes have said that the road engineers, in an attempt to
meet the deadline, have assigned them potholes which were not dug up by
them in the first place.

“There have been arguments between road engineers and private utility
agencies over this (the filling of potholes). This is affecting the
entire pothole filling process,” said a source in the civic body on the
condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The civic administration has also said that after the August 25
deadline, it will fill all the potholes that have remained unattended by
other agencies.