Has BMC found a ‘dream product’ for road repair?

A South Africa-based firm demonstrated a product which ‘guarantees’ pothole-free roads

The BMC is finding ways to create pothole-free roads in Mumbai before the next monsoon. On Friday, a South African firm’s product, Carboncor, which “guarantees” pothole-free roads for 10 years, was used in presence of civic engineers to lay a small patch on the Anik-Wadala Road. Carboncor is one among several products being tested by civic authorities, which use water as one of their ingredients and reduce chances of damage during the rains.

But  experts say it will take quite some time for the city to get pothole-free roads. The solution, they say, is to minimise flooding and not let water accumulate on the roads. “Nobody can guarantee completely pothole-free roads. That can happen only if the BMC follows certain recommendations made by us, like minimising the risk of flooding,” said K Rao, IIT professor and member of BMC’s Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC).

Also, keeping in mind the city’s traffic density, climatic conditions and lengthy procedures like taking permission from 23 utilities while laying a road, it will be too early to predict if such products will work, experts feel. Bhaskar Prabhu, a Right to Information activist, said the civic body was, in any case, promising a “10-year guarantee” for normal asphalt roads. “So what different are they doing? Let us wait till the next bout of showers and the truth will be in front of us.”

Anant Gadgil, architect and urban planner, said, “It is possible for Mumbai to become pot-hole free by the next monsoon provided the BMC concentrates on certain key issues: absolute control on the quality of material used by the contractor and an alternative tendering process system. Currently, the quality of material used is often compromised.”