Repair roads before monsoon: HC to Mumbai civic body

Mumbai, April 26: Saying that Mumbaikars have a habit of suffering silently and ignoring traffic jams and potholes, the Bombay High Court today asked the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to ensure that potholes on roads are filled up before the onset of monsoon.

A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik was hearing a public interest litigation taken up suo motu (on its own) by the court following a letter written by Justice Gautam Patel of the High Court about increasing number of potholes on city roads and the fatalities caused by them.

"The major problem which the city faces during every monsoon is potholes...various agencies dig up the roads but do not restore it properly...Mumbaikars suffer silently and they ignore the traffic jams and potholes," the High Court said.

MCGM counsel Anil Sakhare informed the court today that the website started for citizens to lodge complaints about potholes was shut down temporarily due to technical snag. "Citizens can file complaints on the civic body's Facebook page," he said.

Repair works were being carried out to ensure potholes do not resurface during the monsoon and the major roads would be repaired by May 30, he said. The court has posted the PIL for further hearing in June and directed the corporation to file a compliance report.

In May last year the High Court had observed that citizens have the fundamental right to good roads and it is the state government's statutory obligation to provide roads which are pothole-free.

PTI