The Bombay High Court has directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to prepare a roadmap to repair 20 worst pothole-ridden roads in Mumbai by next week. A division bench led by Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta slammed BMC over the issue of potholes on Mumbai roads and said that the civic body should spend money for the public good and do something about potholes on roads across the city.
The bench of Justices Madhav Jamdar and Dipankar Dutta was hearing a petition on the issue related to bad condition of roads in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. During the hearing the bench laid special ephasis on roads riddled with potholes causing loss of lives on a regular basis.
"BMC is a cash-rich municipality and it should spend its money for the public good and do something about potholes on Mumbai roads," the bench observed, as reported by news agency ANI. The division bench also asked BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal to meet them next week.
"Till then the BMC Commissioner through his officers has to do a survey of 20 worst roads in Mumbai and then Commissioner BMC Chahal would have to give a specific road map that by when the tenders will be floated and by when the repairs of the roads will be complete," the HC bench observed.
It alsoexpressed its discontent over the issue that there was no action taken against the contractor entrusted with the repair and maintenance of the roads.
Earlier in July, BMC had released a statement saying that it had filled 7,211 potholes on Mumbai roads between the months of April and July 2022. During the same period in 2021, the civic body had filled about 10,199 pits, as reported by the news agency ANI.
(With ANI Inputs)