Now, cracks surface on three-year-old Lokhandwala concrete roads in Mumbai

After midday highlighted how cracks had developed on newly made cement concrete roads at DN Nagar and Juhu it has come to light that three other arterial roads in Andheri WestmdashJankidevi School Road near Lokhandwala the Jai Prakash JP Road section near the Indian Oil signal and Dattaji Salvi Road near Veera Desai Roadmdashthat were concreted around three years ago are in a similar stateMeanwhile four days after this newspaperrsquos report on the state of DN Nagar and Juhu stretches was published repair work was yet to be startedJankidevi School RoadWhen midday visited this stretch on Sunday afternoon several minor cracks were visible At one spot the road surface was uneven A resident who wished to be identified only as Sreeharsha said ldquoThe CC cement concrete road was built a few years back and within such a short span it has started developing cracks at a few places highlighting the shoddy work done by the contractor No monitoring takes place exposing a failed system where no one is held accountable for compromising the quality of the roadrdquoThe Jankidevi School Road near Lokhandwala in Andheri West PICSASHISH RAJESushiela Bhakkar another resident said ldquoThe stretch connecting Jankidevi School to Lokhandwala Back Road a vital route for residents and commuters alike was constructed with cement concrete CC around two and a half to three years ago However recent developments have raised concerns among locals Why is a road thatrsquos barely three years old showing signs of deteriorationSreeharsha Andheri West residentShouldnrsquot the contractor who undertook the initial construction be held accountable for the quality of work It is only fair that the authorities ensure the earlier contractor is tasked with repairing these cracks before they become a bigger issue Moreover as the new construction progresses lessons must be learned to prevent it from meeting the same faterdquoSushiela Bhakkar a resident who highlighted the menace of illegal parking on Jankidevi School RoadIllegal parking combined with unauthorised rickshaw repair work along the same stretch is another source of frustration for residents Not only does this worsen congestion but it also obstructs pedestrian pathways creating inconvenience and safety concerns for those who use this road daily ldquoThe cracks in the road are more than just surfacelevel damage They are cracks in accountability in oversight and the promise of better infrastructure The time to act is nowrdquo Bhakkar addedDattaji Salvi RoadThe CC road from the RTO junction signal to Veera Desai signal was made over a stormwater drain Apart from being cracked there was also a stretch where the road surface has become uneven midday has highlighted how on a daily basis thousands of vehicles use this important arterial stretch to travel between Veera Desai Road and the New Link Road signal near the RTODattaji Salvi Road the surface of which is marred was concreted less than a year ago according to localsSimran Singh Ailawati a resident of Veera Desai Road said ldquoDespite the stretch from the RTO junction to Veera Desai being concreted less than a year ago the BMC has dug up the road and cracks have appeared raising questions about the quality of the work done by the contractor The BMC elections have been delayed and there are no corporators who can amplify the voices of citizens Itrsquos high time the authorities started acting against errant contractors and holding them accountable for shoddy work All across the city roads have been dug up inconveniencing commuters during morning and evening peak hoursrdquoA resident Yogesh Joshi said there was no need to concrete the road again ldquoDespite Dattaji Salvi Road being in good condition around over a year ago the road was concreted and since then waterlogging has increased in the area inconveniencing residents The newly made CC road has developed cracks at a few places which clearly shows that the contractor had been cutting cornersrdquo Joshi saidJai Prakash RoadA visibly cracked Jai Prakash Road in Andheri WestThis arterial stretch from Apna Bazar towards the Indian Oil junction signal and during our visit we found that the lane towards the signal was cracked in several spots According to locals this road was concreted less than two years ago There was also a stretch where the surface was unevenAbhijit Bangar additional municipal commissioner was unavailable for comment by press timeExpert SpeakGirish Arekar Senior Indian Road Congress memberWhen midday shared pictures of the cracks that have appeared on the three roads with senior Indian Road Congress member Girish Arekar he revealed that several factors could be at play ldquoOne of the reasons why cracks have developed is temperature variation which may have taken place causing thermal expansion and contraction to happen The variation in proportion of the material used for making CC road can also lead to cracks Another factor could be the high number of vehicles including ones using a particular stretchrdquo he said