Mumbai: BMC to spend Rs 25 crore to repair potholes again

The cold mix technique will now only be used during the dry months

The BMC will be loosening its purse strings, spending an additional Rs 25 crore to fill up potholes that have emerged during this monsoon. Instead of using cold mix technology, geo polymer and rapid hard- ening concrete will be used. According to sources, the cold mix technique will only be used for Mumbai's roads during the dry months.

The BMC decided to adopt the new techniques to fill up potholes after a week-long experimentation on Anik-Wadala Road. The rapid hardening concrete, used for construction of dams, costs more at Rs 23,000 per cubic metre, with a curing period of six hours. The geo polymer solution, which takes two hours to dry, costs around Rs 5,000 per square metre. The third technique, M60 concrete, requires six days to dry and would need an investment of Rs 600 per square metre. The civic body decided against opting for the latter. "We will use the rapid hardening technique for cement concrete roads and geo polymer for asphalt roads," said an official from road department.

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The civic body has now floated five tenders of Rs 25 crore, one for city, one for the eastern suburbs and three for the western suburbs. "There will be a defect liability period (DLP) of 15 months after the completion of the work. Fifty per cent cost will be paid to the contractor on completion of work and remaining 50 per cent on completion of defect liability period," said Ulhas Mahale, deputy municipal commissioner, who is in-charge of the roads department.