Mandals hold pothole mirror to BMC

Girish Walawalkar,secretary of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvaya,blamed BMC,the public works department and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. “After we found the BMC software displayed only a fifth of the actual number of unfilled potholes,we gave the administration a list. But the civic body did not act,” he said.

Walawalkar said a part of the approach road to the artifical pond at mayor’s bungalow in Dadar was full of potholes,but the BMC software did not display this.

The BMC website shows only 10 potholes on major roads in Andheri East,whereas the fact is the area is full of craters.

According to BMC figures,in Colaba-Churchgate and parts of Fort only nine potholes remain to be filled,while Chembur West has only 14 unfilled potholes.

Last week,before the Ganpati festival started,BMC had said it would fill all potholes on immersion routes within two days. However,a day before Ganeshotsav began,it was struggling to keep the promise.

“We are continously repairing potholes that are reported. All potholes will be repaired before visarjan on Saturday,” said a senior road department official.

BMC claims to have filled 24,079 of the 24,533 potholes reported on the tracking website.