Mumbai: Fed up of asking the civic body to repair innumerable potholes on Mumbai’s roads that have become a nightmare for road users, protesters will once again agitate on Friday by holding up placards that say “Danger! Potholes Ahead.”
“This is our awareness drive to demand better road conditions and pothole-free roads that are possible only if they are properly repaired by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC),” say Watchdog Foundation’s Nicholas Almeida and Godfrey Pimenta. Joining in their agitation below Marol Naka Metro Station are other NGOs who are also demanding the removal of illegal parking on Andheri-Kurla Road, Sahar Airport Road, Marol Church Road and Sahar Road which are now in a chaotic state.
The protests will be held every week till “the issue is resolved to our satisfaction,” said Pimenta. After approaching the BMC several times, the activists came up with a novel agitation to draw attention of authorities about a fortnight back. “Umbrellas designed with pictures of Mumbai’s potholed roads were carried by our members who also distributed a special pain balm to harried motorists free of cost to give them some relief from the jolts received when driving through potholes,” he said.
A memorandum to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court regarding the pathetic condition of Mumbai was also given, even though the HC has passed several orders against the BMC.
In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and Traffic Police officials, the trustees of the Watchdog Foundation pointed, “As per the standards prescribed under the Indian law for road construction, if the BMC adheres to the said standards, the roads could last for as much as 20 years. But the moot question is how will the corrupt official and contractors make money and who will bell the cat?” On one hand, the activists say, the BMC raises property taxes and has a massive annual revenue of Rs300 billion (Dh16.43 billion), and on the other the city gets sub-standard roads.
