Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Mumbai Civic Body to Fix Potholes Before Grand Festival

Days after Bombay high court rapped the Mumbai civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is ready to conduct a drive to fix potholes on several major and minor roads. The move has come in the wake of Ganesh Chaturthi. The roads that will be fixed usually record heavy influx of devotees and vehicles during the festival.

A report in Indian Express quoted BMC officials as saying that a map of the route — via which organisers take out processions during arrival and immersion ceremonies — will be drafted, and based on this, the pothole filling work will be taken up on war footing.

BMC in July this year floated a Rs 36-crore tender for filling potholes across Mumbai, the report stated. The IE further quoted P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (Projects), as saying that no fresh funds have been allocated for the drive, and the entire pothole filling work would be carried out under the last work order that BMC had awarded for filling the potholes on Mumbai roads.

Mandals across the city will start bringing in idols starting September 10, for the 10-day festival which begins from September 19 this year, the report stated.

Earlier this month, the Bombay high court had summoned the civic chiefs of Mumbai and five other municipal corporations to court for not complying with its directions to keep roads and footpaths pothole-free.

The HC had said no action will be taken unless senior officials are made personally liable. Apart from the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the chiefs of the Thane Municipal Corporation, Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation were also asked to appear before the court.

The court said that it has been five years and it appears that adequate action has not been taken by the civic bodies to ensure strict compliance of the orders.

“We require the presence of the BMC Commissioner and the commissioners of the other municipal corporations to explain as to why they should not be made liable for disobedience and non-compliance of court orders,” the bench had said.