685 potholes filled by MMRDA in Mumbai this month
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials claimed that they fixed 685 potholes in Mumbai so far this month. The MMRDA said that it filled 423 potholes on the 26.5-km Western Express Highway and 212 potholes on the 23.5-km Eastern Express Highway. However, residents complained about the use of the outdated technology and faulty methods to fix the potholes.  
The heavy rains that lashed Mumbai last week caused numerous potholes across the island city and the suburbs, which led to hellish commutes for lakhs of Mumbaiites. Officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is in charge of maintaining both the city?s highways, claimed they were filling in craters during the dry spell.The MMRDA said it fixed 353 potholes on the Western Express Highway, which were reported between July 1 and July 10, last week. In the next two days, 70 more potholes found on the highway were filled. Between July 1 and July 18, 212 potholes were filled on Eastern Express Highway, an official said.Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director, MMRDA, said, ?Since then there have been around 50 potholes found on the main carriageway of both the roads. Since there is a dry spell now, we are filling the potholes regularly.??In the past five to six days there have been many potholes found on the two express highways. We are consolidating figures from contractors and also seeing to it that they are filled in,? said an engineer, who did not wish to be named. While officials claim that they have been fixing potholes regularly, questions are being raised about the outdated technology and faulty methods being used. Many residents and activists complained that instead of cold-mix technology, MMDRA was using paver blocks to fix potholes. They also said MMRDA?s response times were slow.?Cold mix is used to fill potholes, but as soon as it rains heavily the mix washes away. At certain places we have used paver blocks. Though it is not a standard practice, in our experience it lasts longer,? the engineer said. The MMRDA has appointed two contractors to maintain the 23.5-km Eastern Express Highway and, four contractors to maintain the 26.5-km Western Express Highway during the monsoon.Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to not even count the number of potholes on the roads it is supposed to maintain or reveal the number of complaints it has received. Officials only said that they had attended to ?90%? of complaints.