Civic body starts helpline for citizens to register pothole-related complaints

Mumbai: You can now register your complaints about potholes on the helpline as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made available a toll free number 1800221293 for citizens this monsoon. This will provide a convenient option to lodge their grievances about pothole problem in their areas, said civic officials.

“The helpline number is a part of BMC’s attempts to cater to potholes problem effectively. People can register their complaints, which will be addressed by the civic officials on priority basis,” said a senior civic official.

This year, the BMC has decided to repair potholes with a cold-mix material, which will be manufactured in its own plant in Worli, in collaboration with a German firm.

In June 2017, the BMC had spent Rs 70 lakh to procure 38 tonnes of this pothole-filling mix from Austria and Israel. In an attempt to reduce the cost of importing the mix, the BMC has decided to buy the ingredients required from a German firm and use its own raw materials and manufacture the mix at its Worli plant.

Along with this, the civic body has also provided a separate WhatsApp number for each of the 24 wards to file complaints on potholes. Few days back, the BMC published a list of these WhatsApp numbers of road engineers from all wards. It has asked citizens to send a photo of the pothole, along with the address on these numbers. The BMC has promised that it would attend to complaints within 72 hours of receiving it.

In addition to this, citizens can also file pothole complaints on BMC’s mobile application MCGM24X7, said civic officials.