Due to the alertness of Bandra West residents, a well-maintained road was saved from excavation. On Tuesday, the road contractor appointed by the BMC reached Silver Clophill Lane, off St. Paul Road, with a JCB. The paver block road was planned to be concretised under the road concretisation project undertaken by the civic body across Mumbai. However, the residents protested, contacted the civic ward office, and ensured the labourers did not dig up the road. “There is no point in excavating and concretising a road in good condition. It not only causes inconvenience to the public but is also a contractor’s way of minting money,” the residents alleged.
Activist Zoru Bhathena said, “Not only was a perfectly made paver block lane saved, but the contractor was also defying the municipal commissioner’s order to not dig up any more roads in Mumbai. Thanks to the alert local residents who reached the spot on time. Though the labourers removed some paver blocks, the work was stopped.”
During a February 27 meeting, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani directed the roads department and all 24 ward officers that no new roads should be dug up in the city, and only ongoing works should be completed. The commissioner also directed that all roads must be motorable before the monsoon.
Recently, a road in the Pali Hill area was also saved from concretisation after residents protested against excavating an already perfect road. Meanwhile, residents of Breach Candy are also demanding that a well-maintained local road not be concretised.
An order passed by the deputy municipal commissioner (infrastructure) stated, “It has been instructed that no new roads will be excavated for concretisation after February 22, and all such road works shall be completed on or before May 31 to avoid inconvenience to commuters and the public at large.”
While presenting the BMC budget in the first week of February, Gagrani mentioned that although the BMC aims to concretise all roads in Mumbai, if the roads in any specific locality are in good condition and residents submit a proposal to not concretise them, the proposal will be considered. He also stressed that, as several complaints about inconvenience to the public due to excessive road works in the city were received, civic staff and contractors have been directed not to start any new road works and to complete ongoing works before the monsoon.
