Potholes on Mumbai's roads are now the subject of some lengthy government meetings. After one such review meeting on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation has been ordered to fill up over 4,500 potholes in Mumbai's suburbs within two days.
Guardian Minister for suburban Mumbai Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan gave these orders on Thursday after a meeting to review the ghastly road conditions in the city, some of it on newly built roads. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is expected to review the situation shortly after hordes of complaints from Mumbaikars and an uproar in the media over the pathetic condition of the city's roads.
Mr. Khan also ordered the appointment of a high-level committee to supervise the work in each ward headed by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner on a daily basis. Mr. Khan said of the total 6,000 potholes, about 4500 are in the suburbs while the rest are in the island city. While contracts had been given for filling up the potholes, nothing was being done on time. Mr. Khan said the filling of the potholes was often delayed by the rain. Defaulting contractors would be dealt with severely and blacklisted, he said.
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The government was considering taking action on contractors who had built these roads which developed potholes in the warranty period.
The figure of 6000 potholes is an underestimation, according to some citizen's groups.