Another HC deadline on potholes

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM today informed the Bombay High Court that it had filled up 42,941 potholes so far in keeping with a judicial directive but a division bench asked the civic body to cap the remaining 133 potholes within a week.

Earlier, the court had directed the civic body to fill up all the potholes within a period of three months ending August 30. The deadline was, however, extended today by Justice R M Lodha and Justice S A Bobade after MCGM informed that most of the repair work of city roads was completed and only 133 potholes remained to be filled up.

The court also gave four weeks to Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) to repair the roads under its jurisdiction. Likewise, Thane Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Port Trust were also asked to repair roads in its area within a week.

The bench also asked Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to complete road repairs within a fortnight but allowed it to repair the busy Gorbunder Road in Thane within four weeks.

The udges observed that having good roads is part of fundamental right to life as enshrined in the Constitution.

The court also expanded the standing technical advisory committee which advises Mumbai municipal corporation on road maintenance by adding three persons on its panel, namely D'cunha, social worker, Mihit Desai, an advocate, and Sudhir Badami, structural civil engineer.