Rains destroy Aarey roads ‘repaired’ two months ago
The situation inside Aarey just two months after the roads were repaired
Built last year and repaired in June, the roads are once again peppered with huge craters.
Heavy rains have destroyed recently repaired roads inAarey Colony , leaving them with giant potholes that tribal families living in the area say present grave danger to motorists.
The road outside New Zealand Hostel was built last year and repaired two months ago. Now it is full of craters. The roads aroundGavdevi area , Aarey Nursery, Modern Bakery, Gautam Nagar and Kelti Pada are in similar condition following monsoon rains.
Vitthal Lad, a member of theKashtkari Shetkari Sanghatana , works with the tribals living in Aarey. He said his outfit had followed up the issue with the authorities, “but nobody is serious about the money the government is spending on road repairs”.
He called for an investigation into roadworks carried out in the area in the past 10 years. “Contractors fill their pockets and the roads remain in the same condition.”
Several tribals Mirror spoke to urgedChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to visit Aarey and see for himself the state of the roads.
Dadarao Bilhore, who has been filling potholes around Mumbai ever since he lost his son to an accident caused by one, visited Aarey in June when the repair works were taking place. Bilhore told Mirror he took pictures and videos, adding that the material being used by thePWD contractors was so shoddy that this was bound to happen.
“Potholes don’t appear out of nowhere. There is a link. But nobody in the government wants to investigate the matter,” he said. Bilhore also shared his pictures with Mirror.
Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena MLA from Jogeshwari East and a former minister of state, accepted this was a chronic problem. “I am not satisfied with the work done by the PWD. The only solution to this problem is to put theBMC in charge of the 45-km road network inside Aarey,” he said. “The BMC constructed the eight-kilometre main road that brings us to Aarey, and the pothole problem has reduced drastically. BMC should take over the roads inside as well; the PWD is just not capable.”
Heavy rains have destroyed recently repaired roads in
The road outside New Zealand Hostel was built last year and repaired two months ago. Now it is full of craters. The roads around
It is not just motorists at risk of accident. According to a resident, Barkya Varthe, people cannot walk on these roads either. “People are welcome to witness our hardship,” Varthe told Mirror. “Repair work takes place every six months. Yet the roads are destroyed after the first rains. How is that possible?”
Vitthal Lad, a member of the
He called for an investigation into roadworks carried out in the area in the past 10 years. “Contractors fill their pockets and the roads remain in the same condition.”
Dadarao Bilhore visited the area in June to document the repairs
Several tribals Mirror spoke to urged
Dadarao Bilhore, who has been filling potholes around Mumbai ever since he lost his son to an accident caused by one, visited Aarey in June when the repair works were taking place. Bilhore told Mirror he took pictures and videos, adding that the material being used by the
“Potholes don’t appear out of nowhere. There is a link. But nobody in the government wants to investigate the matter,” he said. Bilhore also shared his pictures with Mirror.
Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena MLA from Jogeshwari East and a former minister of state, accepted this was a chronic problem. “I am not satisfied with the work done by the PWD. The only solution to this problem is to put the
