MMRDA tells court no potholes. Here's the truth

We're calling your bluff, MMRDA. The MMRDA yesterday told the Bombay High Court that none of the roads under its purview has potholes. So, we decided to put that claim to the test. We assessed the condition of roads in BKC and near the monorail depot in Wadala - both of which are under the MMRDA's jurisdiction - and found a number of potholes. The bigger worry was uneven surfaces.

Watch out! A driver manoeuvres his car to avoid a pothole on the main BKC road near a drive-in theatre. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Besides all the roads in BKC, MMRDA maintains the 1.2-km stretch of MA Road to Anik-Wadala road, a 1.06-km stretch of the Wadala monorail depot road that leads to the Anik-Wadala road and 3.5 km of road in Oshiwara in the western suburbs.

Death trap: A massive pit in the dedicated bus lane in BKC. It has been closed to traffic. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Braking bad in BKC
A majority of the roads in BKC are made of cement and concrete, but the surface of the main BKC road was uneven at many spots. One portion of the road, covered with paver blocks, has even caved in. This is the same north-bound stretch of the road that was dedicated to BEST buses. But due to the uneven stretch and an open duct, this has been closed to traffic.

Back-breaking: Paver blocks have come undone on the Anik depot road in Wadala. Pic/Atul Kamble

Most of BKC's internal roads are also concretised. But the stretch near the MMRDA grounds is laid with tar. Its surface has developed cracks at many spots and 10-15 potholes have cropped up. An internal concretised road from the ONGC office in BKC, that leads to the main BKC road, also has three to four potholes. Other roads were pothole-free.

Wadala whopper
mid-day's reporter, Atul Kamble, travelled on MMRDA's roads in Wadala. To the authorities' credit, there were few potholes on this stretch. But uneven roads made for quite a bumpy ride.