The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally decided to be tough on the road contractors who are given work of filling potholes during monsoon.
A civic circular binds all the contractors to have a road roller for their work. Twenty-four contractors are appointed for all the 24 civic wards as per the Mirani committee recommendation to carry out the pothole-filling work.
The circular came after various road contractors opposed the use of the new carbon-core technology advocated the civic body.
According to sources in the municipal administration, more often than not the contractors do not press the hot-mix (mixture of tar and metals) in their repairing process and thereby leave the pothole surface loose. This was primarily because no road roller is used, and the mixture is pressed manually.
The municipal corporation has made it clear that if the roller is not used then the contractor’s bill will not be passed. “We have asked the contractors to keep their road rollers ready for inspection before awarding of the contract,” said an officer from BMC’s road department.
Additional municipal commissioner RA Rajeev said: “The committee has asked for the use of road rollers to keep the roads in good condition after repairing potholes.”
