“Fill Potholes And Then Collect Toll”…infuriated commuters
Mulund: Commuters commuting on the pothole-ridden roads on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) from Mulund to Airoli are up-in-arms against the pothole menace. In a bid to voice their anger against the civic administration, the commuters have made a video that has gone viral on social media. The video exposes the BMC’s shoddy work and depicts the pathetic condition of the EEH roads that are marred by umpteen potholes. Angry commuters in the video declare – “Fill potholes and then collect toll”!!
Moved by the dismal condition of Eastern Express Highway roads, Home Times took a reality check of the video and visited the roads shown in the video. In its reality check, Home Times was left stunned to find the terrible condition of the roads. The roads are truly so bad that it indicates utter neglect and absolute poor maintenance by the concerned MJP Department that looks after the maintenance and repair work of potholes in Mumbai.
When Home Times confronted an official from the MJP Department and probed about the pathetic condition of the roads. Surprisingly, the official accepted the truth of potholes on the EEH road. However, defending himself, he said, “I agree the Eastern Express Highway road towards Airoli has several potholes, but we are helpless. We had repaired the road but the incessant rains in the recent past few weeks have created havoc and the potholes have re-surfaced .” He added, “We would be filling the potholes at the earliest. We are waiting for the monsoon to end.”
However, Siddhesh Parulekar, a Mulundkar, condemned the civic administration for doing sub-standard work. Aggravated at the repeated recurrence of potholes despite repairs, he said, “The BMC work is merely an eye-wash. That is the reason potholes spring back”. Lamenting over the dismal condition of Eastern Express Highway roads, he told Home Times, “The potholes on the Eastern Express Highway road are so dangerous that they have become lethal for two-wheeler riders. Due to umpteen potholes, a two-wheeler rider is unable to maintain balance and can fall, resulting in his unfortunate death.”
Posing a valid question to the civic administration, Siddhesh Parulekar asked, “If a person is killed due to the pothole menace, then who should be held accountable for his death?” He added, “We are paying taxes and tolls, but there is no accountability as to where our money goes. We need an answer from the government. Until the civic body has an answer to our question, till then we would not pay the toll.”
