Minister Chandrakant Patil

monsoon session

Western Express Highway

Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Sion-Panvel highway being fixed; (inset) Chandrakant Patil

Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta

Mirror’s reports on pothole deaths in Mumbai metropolitan region

Chandrakant Patil apologises for ‘don’t blame potholes alone’ remark.Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD), who is under fire over bad condition of roads around Mumbai, has turned to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for help. The PWD wants cold mix from the civic body, which the latter has in excess. The PWD maintains highways in the state, including the Sion-Panvel Road.Patil, who is in Nagpur for the ongoingof the state legislature, reviewed the condition of roads in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, especially the Sion-Panvel Road where deaths have taken place due to accidents. The condition of thefrom Bandra to Andheri is quite bad, and this road is maintained by the PWD. “I have sent my secretaries to Mumbai to have an in-depth inspection of roads. Besides, we are also using the cold mix technology to fill potholes ofand have asked the BMC to give us cold mix,’’ Patil told Mumbai Mirror.CP Joshi, Secretary (Roads) of PWD, said, “The BMC has about 500 tonnes of cold mix. We have asked for at least 100 tonnes, and they have agreed to spare that for us. The rains have taken a break now. We will take cold mix from the BMC and fill potholes as it is a quick and durable solution to the problem of potholes.’’Joshi inspected the Western Express Highway and other roads on Tuesday for potholes.Earlier on Saturday, Patil, while speaking in Sangli, had said that potholes alone cannot be blamed for deaths on roads. “When you talk about a death in such an accident, you forget that five lakh other people have travelled on the same road. You cannot put the entire blame on the roads alone,” he had said.Patil on Monday apologised in the Legislative Council for his remarks. “I apologise if my statement (on bad roads) was insensitive,’’ he said.Five people lost their lives due to damaged roads around Mumbai in the last two weeks.Speaking with Mumbai Mirror,said, “We have begun in-house production of cold mix. We have some excess cold mix. We don’t need it much as our roads are better. We will give the excess cold mix to the PWD.’’