Neeta Kolhatkar in Mumbai
Taking a suo motu cognizance of potholes in Mumbai, the Bombay High Court today asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to submit a detailed report on the repair work by July 6, the next date of hearing.
Earlier, the court had taken a grim view of the alarming incidents of injuries and even deaths due to accidents caused by potholes.
The counsel for BMC, in its response, had then assured the Court in an affidavit that potholes were being repaired and the job would be completed before the arrival of monsoons.
The counsel had further submitted that 80 percent of the repair work had already been carried out by the civic authority.
However, that assurance was not enough to satisfy the court and lessen its anxiety on the issue.
According to a road accident report (2014) brought out by the road transport and highways ministry, 4,726 people were killed in crashes due to humps and 6,672 people died in accidents caused due to potholes and speed breakers.
As far as the states are concerned, Maharashtra registered 368 deaths in crashes due to potholes and speed breakers while 224 people died in crashes on roads under repair or construction.
BMC is already under the scanner in the Rs352-crore road repair scam and more than 20 people have been arrested till date.