Mumbai: The BMC has started manufacturing a cold mix for repairing potholes this monsoon after a successful trial. The civic body will be making this mixture with the help of an additive imported from Germany, and has targeted production of 2,500 tonnes.
The BMC struggles to fix potholes every year, earning the ire of citizens frustrated with navigating bad roads in the rain. Last year, it procured a pothole filling mixture from two firms based in Austria and Israel at an average cost of ₹170 per kg. This, while the hot mix manufactured at its asphalt plant costs only around ₹10.
This will bring down cost of production for BMC to just ₹28 per kg. The city’s actual requirement is around 11,000 tonnes in monsoon.
After reporting success with the imported mixture, BMC decided to manufacture it to save costs. It invited bids and selected a mixture made by a German company.
This will be used as an additive, and a cold mix will be manufactured in its asphalt plant in Worli. The project will cost ₹127 crore, and a proposal to this effect has been passed by the BMC Standing Committee in February.
A Roads Department official said, “The department tested the mixture on DN Road recently, in which potholes were filled with water, and the mixture was poured in. The road was levelled and opened to traffic. The contractor has given us a one-year guarantee. If the mixture isn’t durable, it will be replaced.”
