BMC to reconstruct 1.3K roads

Mumbai: The reconstruction and resurfacing of as many as 1,343 roads will begin from next month, according to a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official. The works on roads with length of 507-km  would be carried out in phases. The tender of first half of the road has already started, the official added.

The tendering process for the first 202.31 km of road involves 624 resurfacing and reconstruction works. The rest 719 works for roads admeasuring 305.08-km would start in subsequent stage. “These works will begin after monsoon gets over,” the official said.

The work will be awarded next month. Of these 62 road works, 15 roads are located each in the island city and eastern suburbs while rest are in western suburbs.  A new mechanism is being proposed for maintaining the road-quality.

“We have taken a slew of measures to fix the accountability on the contractors. We will ensure that there would be no irregularities. The vigilance department of the civic body will also play its role,” he said.

The assurance came against the backdrop of a road repair scam that had come to light in 2015 and surfacing of potholes. Many people had died in various parts of the city and extended suburbs in accidents caused by pockmarked roads.

A total of 180 engineers were indicted in the two-phase enquiry conducted by the civic body and six of them were dismissed from the service earlier this year. The civic body has set a budget of Rs 1,508 crore for the entire resurfacing and reconstruction works, the official said. He said the BMC had completed the works on 552-km roads during October 1, 2016 to May 2018.