Instead of focusing purely on concreting roads, the civic body should put emphasis on quality of raw material and construction techniques, experts and activists have said. The BMC claims it will concrete 1,000 km of roads in two years. But only 68 km in total have been concreted in 12 months. Experts told mid-day merely reconstructing roads will not solve the issue and that a change in attitude and responsibility of the administration is required.
 
Nandkumar Salvi, ex-chief engineer of the BMC and convener of Mumbai Vikas Samiti, said, “The administration has discredited asphalt. But it is a better option than concrete, which is very expensive. Quality control is the key. An asphalt road with appropriate grading of gravel, slope so that water doesn’t accumulate and ducts for utilities will increase the lifespan of asphalt roads. Various committees, including the STAC (standing technical advisory committee), have already submitted detailed reports, but nowadays IAS officers do not want to follow the advice of experts and this is the reason behind the sorry state of roads. No one can fill potholes in the monsoon. A survey of bad patches in October and resurfacing of roads a month before the rainy season is advisable.”

Trivankumar Karnani and Pankaj Joshi