Mumbai: Barely hours after the Rs 248-crore Mrinaltai Gore flyover extension in Goregaon was opened to motorists on Saturday evening, social media was flooded with complaints of uneven patches, which prompted mayor Ritu Tawde to announce a site inspection on Monday. She said she would push for action against the contractor and civic officials if the work is found to be substandard.
BMC Defends Quality
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday defended the quality of work, stating that “stone chippings” are intentionally spread while laying 40mm thick mastic asphalt to allow for friction and skid-resistance. “As a result, temporary variations in colour or texture may be visible on the surface. However, this process is essential for vehicular safety,” the BMC said. It added that mastic asphalt “looks patchy and rough immediately after laying, especially where it is done manually”, and that once a large number of vehicles use the road, the surface will appear “even and tidy”.
The BMC claimed that the bridges department had carried out a technical inspection, and that the road’s surface did not indicate any structural deficiency, design flaw, workmanship defect, or surfacing failure. It stated that all bridge works have been executed strictly in accordance with approved designs and prescribed technical specifications. The corporation also said that “extra grit” on the road surface will be removed. Regarding complaints of visible joints on the surface, the BMC explained that they are part of the technical process involved in laying mastic asphalt.
Citizens and Opposition Unconvinced
The assurances did not convince citizens or the opposition. From notes of caution that the road “won’t last one monsoon” to complaints of “so much patchwork”, many citizens expressed doubt about how the project, which was delayed by six years, had even passed muster. “How can this even be opened with such shoddy work? I am sure they will close it tomorrow citing ‘technical issues’,” said a social media user.
NCP (SP)’s Anish Gawande pointed out that the 750-metre extension had cost Rs 33 lakh per metre on average and questioned how “three cost revisions and daily penalties on the contractor” could still produce such shoddy work. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad slammed the BMC for defending poor work with “technical jargon”.
Mayor’s Firm Stance
The mayor said no excuses would be brooked during her site inspection. “If substandard work is found, I will be demanding an immediate technical audit and inquiry by a reputable independent institution such as IIT-Bombay. Should the audit establish deficiencies in the quality of work, I will seek the immediate blacklisting of the contractor, withholding of all pending payments, and action against the officials responsible for supervising the project. Accountability must be fixed without delay.”
