This Mumbai Monsoons, Brace for More Potholes & Garbage Spills

While the BMC has repaired several main roads, many still have potholes, open drains and ongoing construction.

Photo used for representational purposes only. (Photo: iStock)

The BMC went about preparing Mumbai’s roads for the upcoming monsoons much in advance this year, even categorising roads by priority and flooding and making repair timelines around them. As of 31 May, while it claims to have repaired all 114 Priority I roads, by their own admission they have been able to repair only 33% of the 268 Priority II roads in the city.

Each year, the city faces chronic waterlogging and brutal traffic jams due to potholes, broken roads, uneven paver blocks, and garbage and gutters overflowing. The Quint stepped out for a spot-check of the condition of Mumbai’s roads, one day before monsoons are officially set to hit the island city on 10 June 2017.

What Rubbish!

The garbage collection system of the city is failing – and spilling over its roads now. In areas like Behrampada, Bandra station, Kurla, Marol and many areas in the suburbs as you go north, broken BMC garbage bins lay uncleaned for weeks, as birds, insects and rodents make their way to the heap around them. Come monsoons, these areas, usually in poor neighbourhoods, will transform into a dangerous breeding ground for mosquitoes, skin infections and diseases. 

Saki Naka

Traffic could be seen diverting lanes due to this overspill of open garbage at Saki Naka. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad)

Andheri

With one spell of heavy rains, this location opposite Andheri station (East) will breed mosquitoes and diseases. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Vikhroli

A garbage bin overflows on a main road in Vikhroli. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/Nimish Imandar)

Puddles, Potholes and Paverblocks

While the BMC has satisfactorily completed repairing most of the main roads, the arterial roads and areas inside neighbourhoods continue to suffer. In areas where waterlogging will necessarily happen every year, the BMC has not taken extra steps to change the status quo. Additionally, even repairs made recently have started showing signs of wear and tear.

Khar

Layer of mud is put over broken road to add thin layer of bitumen and cover up. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Bandra

A freshly-made road develops cracks. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Azad Maidan

The scene outside the Deputy Director of Town Planning’s office. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Bhandup

The Bhandup-Kanjur Road has begun caving in at the centre. (Photo courtesy: Hardik Malavia) 

Andheri

Even without rains, 100 meters from Andheri station, the gutter overflows routinely and with potholes, there’s massive traffic commotion everyday during rush hour. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad)

Marol Railway Station

Puddles outside Marol Railway Station due to broken paver blocks with just a few hours of pre-monsoon rains. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Grant Road

A pothole on Grant Road (East). (Photo courtesy: Nutan)

Navi Mumbai

Condition of the road under Hiranandani Bridge. (Photo & Caption courtesy: Twitter/PKV)

Western Express Highway

Missing, uneven paver blocks lead to inevitable waterlogging on the less than 500m wide footpath on the busy highway. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad)

Azad Maidan

Broken , open drains and paver blocks mar the narrow lanes behind Azad Maidan. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

An open drain on Linking Road, Bandra. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

A drain caves near Vile Parle station. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

A drain caves in, slowly creating a manhole at Dadar. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Other areas visited: The stretch outside Andheri railway station (East) and Gandhi Market in Dadar get flooded each year. However, open drains and debris still dot the scene proving no extra steps were taken by the BMC to secure these areas. Pre-monsoon work is going on in the Ghatkopar-Makhurd stretch, Waterfield road, Saat Raasta and Worli, days after deadline. Repair work on the SV Road – a crucial road which stretches from Bandra to Andheri – was completed, but the low quality paver blocks have already started giving in. 

Dadar

Road dug up near Deorukhkar Road, Dadar. (Photo courtesy: George Grace) 

Malad

A pothole on Link Road Malad which slows down traffic. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

Metro All The Way

To add to the usual miseries of Mumbai roads (Mithi, potholes, drains etc), digging work for not one, but two ambitious metro lines are underway. The Metro III line runs for 33 kms across the city while the Metro II line runs from Dahisar in the north to Mandale in the east for almost 18 kms.

Huge stretches on these routes have been under construction for months now, with more than 5,000 trees being cut to pave way. However, with the rains just round the corner, deep trenches barricaded by the Metro boards of both lines remain open, increasing the likelihood of deluge, breeding pools for insects, loose root soil overflowing onto the roads and also damage to the progress of construction itself.

Churchgate-Bandra-Andheri

Open trenches have been barricaded along the entire north-south axis of the city for Metro 3, unlikely to be closed before the rains. (Photo: Pallavi Prasad) 

So aware is the Mumbai Police of the road conditions and the problems the citizens will face come 10 June, including loss of lives and livelihood in the worst scenarios, that they have put out a public announcement, which resignedly claims “monsoon and potholes are synonymous.”

But, do they really have to be synonymous, year after year?

Also Read: Mumbai Rains Days Away, But Trash Chokes Mithi – Is BMC Asleep?