BMC holds review meeting to address delays and quality issues in Mumbai’s road concretisation project | X – @mybmc
Mumbai: The road work is being delayed partly due to underground utilities, water pipelines, and stormwater drain lines, complained the road engineers in a review meeting held at the BMC headquarters on Tuesday.
Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has directed road officials to coordinate with other civic departments and service utilities to ensure that the concretisation work is completed by May 31.
The civic body aims to complete 324 kilometers of road concretization in Phase 1 before the monsoon. However, several issues have arisen in the past few months regarding the quality of the road concretisation. Citizens have raised complaints about cracks developing on the newly concreted roads.
During a recent inspection of road work in Mankhurd, it was found that the concrete’s “slump” value exceeded the standard, indicating an overly fluid mix that compromised the quality of the roadwork.
In light of the ongoing roadwork challenges, Gagrani held a review meeting with road engineers, along with Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar and other officials. He instructed the officials to carry out micro-planning to ensure the completion of the ongoing roadwork within the next 70 days.
During the meeting, executive and assistant engineers raised concerns that underground utilities have become a obstacle in executing the roadwork. Gagrani instructed the senior engineers to conduct surprise inspections of the roadworks, particularly at night when work is in progress.
“Engineers should visit ready-mix concrete plants and the actual work sites to observe and record their findings. They should actively participate rather than just being technically present. Additionally, excavation work is strictly prohibited on completed concrete roads. The Central Agency and Ward Office must ensure vigilance in this matter,” said Gagrani.
Bangar stated that for the roads where the concretisation work has been completed, tasks such as applying thermoplastic, zebra crossings, installing cat eyes, and placing yellow thermoplastic grids at intersections should be finished. This will ensure the roads are fully functional and enhance the area’s aesthetic appeal. The BMC is currently working on the concretisation of 1,173 roads spanning 433 kilometers, in Phase 1 and Phase 2.
