Every monsoon, it’s Mumbaikars vs Potholes.
Every monsoon, agitated citizens.
Every monsoon, a BMC in denial, playing dumb and/or helpless.
Commuting becomes a nightmare, even fatal. 34-year-old biker, Jagruti Hogale, the latest casualty - crushed by a truck after she hit a pothole near Mumbai’s Palghar district.
Take a look at this - the Western Express Highway - that connects South Mumbai to its western suburbs, splattered with potholes every year. Despite being pointed out on social media by citizens and being written about by journalists, the potholes on the Western Express Highway are seen in the exact same condition every year.
Western Express Highway, June 2017
Rewind to last year:
Western Express Highway, July 2016
And back in 2010, when potholes ruled the Western Express Highway:
Western Express Highway, July 2010
Despite being home to Mumbai’s domestic airport, Santacruz area continues to have multiple craters on its roads that pop up every monsoon. Mumbaikars have come to dread the Milan bridge that connects SV road to the Western Express Highway.
When potholes reared their ugly heads just weeks ago in Santacruz:
Santacruz, July 2017
Oh wait! They have already been there since 2015:
Santacruz, July 2015
Same potholes, same area, just a different year:
Santacruz, July 2014
We trawled through news websites and identified more such pothole prone areas, that are chronically reported by the media and yet ignored by the BMC.
The Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg (LBS) is a 21 km stretch that connects Mumbai’s Eastern suburbs to the neighbouring Thane city. But despite lakhs of people plying on it daily, LBS Marg continues to remain covered in craters every monsoon.
LBS Marg, July 2016
The craters spattered across LBS Marg last year:
2015 doesn’t seem very different from 2016 for commuters on LBS Marg:
LBS Marg, August 2015
Rewind to 2010, LBS Marg was covered in just as many potholes:
LBS Marg, 2010
The 10 km long Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) stretch is a crucial seamless corridor that connects the Western and Eastern Express Highways. But, due to potholes adorning the stretch during monsoon, it has turned into a commuters’ nightmare.
JVLR, an arterial road in Mumbai, was dotted with potholes last year
JVLR, July 2016
The situation was just as bad in 2013:
JVLR, February 2013
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