Mumbai’s recent experience with deteriorating cement concrete (CC) roads has sparked serious concerns, as cracks and structural failures have emerged within months of installation. The issue became more prominent after as reported on Thursday and Friday about the crumbling roads in Santacruz, Bandra West, Powai, and Andheri’s Lokhandwala areas. In response to the alarming situation, Ashish Shelar, the BJP’s city president and Bandra West MLA, met with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief, Bhushan Gagrani, on Friday, demanding a thorough investigation into the quality of these roadworks. Shelar called for the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter.
In a letter submitted to Gagrani, Shelar highlighted multiple complaints from citizens about the poor quality of CC roads. He specifically pointed out his visit to Bhargav Road in Santacruz, which had been featured in TOI’s earlier reports. On this stretch, the concrete layers were reportedly peeling off, and several areas had failed to meet the prescribed curing standards. Shelar further suggested that 40% of the concrete patches be randomly audited, with experts from reputed institutions such as IIT-Bombay and VJTI involved in the investigation. He stressed that any lapses in quality control, vigilance, or contractor performance should be identified and addressed promptly. This call for an audit comes amid rising complaints from residents about poorly constructed roads. In Bandra, a CC road laid just a month ago between Rajendra Kumar Chowk and Pali Market has started to deteriorate, with the surface breaking into chunks. The Pali Hill Residents Association has also raised concerns, pointing out that the road was not adequately cured.
Similarly, residents of Lokhandwala in Andheri have reported that the top layer of the Back Road has broken down. On a proactive note, an IIT-Bombay team conducted an inspection of ongoing CC roadworks in Dahisar earlier on Friday. As part of a third-party audit agreement between IIT-B and the BMC, the team scrutinised cement concrete cubes, batch reports, and receipts from ready-mix concrete suppliers. Tests on concrete temperature, slump, and flexural beams were also conducted, with recommendations for enhanced quality control measures for future CC road projects. The growing concern surrounding the poor execution of these projects calls for urgent intervention. With public trust in municipal infrastructure at stake, the BMC’s response to Shelar’s demand for an SIT investigation will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
