Municipal employees filling potholes in Thane. (Amay Kharade)
(from our representative)
MUMBAI: After filling the potholes on the roads due to heavy rains with coldmix, they are washed away in the rain and the roads are getting potholed again. So now paver blocks are being used on an urgent basis to fill the potholes. But instead of finding a permanent new technology for potholes, additional commissioner of the municipality P. Velrasu gave the officials during the inspection of different roads of Mumbai on Sunday.
After the torrential rains during the last few days, potholes have formed on the roads of Mumbai. From motorists to common citizens are disturbed. It is worth mentioning here that the municipality has allocated two crore rupees to all the 24 wards of Mumbai to fill potholes on the roads. However, the condition of the road is bad. While the BJP has also been continuously criticizing the administration over the condition of Mumbai’s roads for the past few days, top officials from the additional commissioner of the municipality P. Velrasu took to the roads on Sunday in the pouring rain. He inspected the roads in several areas of the western suburbs in Mumbai and ordered potholes to be filled immediately. In the meantime, he also asked the officials to find a new method to fill potholes. On Sunday, P. Velrasu, after taking a report on the filling of potholes at different places in the western suburbs, said that the potholes were being filled using coldmix technology. But due to heavy rains and constant vehicular traffic on the road, the mix does not last in the potholes and it washes away and pits and gravel spreads on the road. Due to this, the risk of accidents also increases. So there is a need to study and implement new technologies, new methods to get rid of the problem of potholes permanently.
P. Velrasu during discussions with officials directed them to study and implement new engineering methods that can be used to fill potholes on roads.
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Use of new technology
Presently, paver blocks prepared by hydraulic press method are being used on temporary basis to fill potholes on the road. However, now the municipality plans to use M60 grade large-sized ladi (precast concrete plates) in different shapes, so that potholes can be filled immediately and traffic can be resumed soon. Also, wherever possible, the municipality plans to fill the pit using M-60 concrete and lay steel plates until it becomes strong. By filling the pit like this, it will last for three to four months. Apart from this, the municipality has to study the use of blocks made using fly ash to fill the potholes.
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Over 12,000 potholes filled
Mumbai has experienced torrential rains during the past fortnight, resulting in a large number of potholes on the roads. From 1st April to 7th July, 7,000 potholes on the roads of Mumbai were repaired by the municipality. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Infrastructure) Ulhas Mahale claimed that the municipality had completed 12,199 potholes by Sunday, July 17.
Asphalt roads will be concretized
To make the roads of Mumbai permanently pothole-free, the municipality has planned to make the roads of Mumbai concrete. Mumbai has a network of 2,055 km of roads. So far 50 percent of the asphalt roads have been made of cement concrete. According to Additional Commissioner P. Velrasu, 1,030 km of roads have been made of cement concrete and the remaining roads will be made of cement concrete in the next five years. Asphalt roads last in dry climates. They do not survive heavy rains.
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