Commuters continue to dodge potholes as Panvel civic body delays repair

Arterial roads in various nodes of the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are pock-marked with potholes, leading to minor accidents every day. The City and

Arterial roads in various nodes of the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are pock-marked with potholes, leading to minor accidents every day. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), which still looks after these nodes, said the repair work of the roads will begin after the monsoon.

“A budget of ₹42 crore has been allotted to fix the battered roads. The tender will be floated soon and repair work will begin after monsoon,” said Ramesh Giri, executive engineer, Cidco.

On September 14, Bhavna Patel, 34, resident of Roadpali Sector 17, lost control of her bike while trying to avoid a pothole near Sector 17 while she was on her way to her school.

Patel had to have 15 stitches on her nose and lip. She is still recuperating from her injuries.

“As it was an internal road, there was no vehicle behind her, and a major tragedy was averted. Cidco, who is responsible for maintaining the roads, should be booked for the accident,” said Shailesh Patel, 40, Bhavna’s brother.

Devendra Waghmare, 48, a resident of Kamothe’s Sector 35, who takes the road at Sector 18 every day to drop his children to school, said, “Often while returning home from the school, I lose control of my bike while trying to avoid a pothole [at the road at sector 18]. The vehicle skids as the road is full of muck.”

Cidco had recently taken up sewage repair work on the road at Sector 18 but the dug-up road was not repaired after the work was completed, leading to potholes developing on the road.

On Sunday, Megha Waghela, 30, a resident of Kamothe’s sector 34, met with an accident on the same road while trying to avoid a pothole. She received major injuries on her elbow and leg.

“Later, Cidco did some patchwork but it got washed away because of incessant rain,” said Waghela.

“Cidco delayed the sewage repair work at Sector 18 in Kamothe, even as monsoon was approaching. They completed the work in a hurry. The 1-km road has now turned into a muddy road,” said Rohit Patel, 50, a Kamothe resident.

“After citizens complained, Cidco officials had dumped a truckload of small stones on the damaged part of the road [at Sector 18 in Kamothe], making it more difficult for motorists to ply on the road, forcing them to take a long detour,” said Patel.

The road has very few outlets connecting to drains, leading to waterlogging, which damages the road further.

While Cidco is yet to begin with its repair work, commuters travelling on roads in Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalamboli, Roadpali and Panvel have to deal with potholes and craters.

Representatives of Roadpali Residents Welfare Association (RRWA) on Wednesday complained about potholes to Cidco.

“As the road in Roadpali’s Sector 17 and 18 is full of potholes, minor accidents have been occurring every day. We have complained to Cidco officials about the issue and they have assured that tenders would be floated soon for the repair work,” said Deepak Khasturi, secretary RRWA.

“Meanwhile we have asked them to at least carry out patchwork to stop accidents and take up permanent repair work later,” said Khasturi.

Kamothe-based resident’s group Ekta Samajik Sanstha had performed a symbolic last rite of the potholes in the node to get Cidco’s attention.

“The potholes are very big and they pose a risk to commuters. Though monsoon has been really bad this year yet, Cidco has not taken any effort to fix the roads although there are many minor accidents taking place every day,” said Amol Shitole, president Ekta Samajik Sanstha.

“Bikers, while trying to avoid the potholes, often either lose their balance or skid on the road,” said Shitole.