17 March,2025 09:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The Jankidevi School Road near Lokhandwala in Andheri West. Pic/Ashish Raje
After mid-day highlighted how cracks had developed on newly made cement concrete roads at DN Nagar and Juhu, it has come to light that three other arterial roads in Andheri West - Jankidevi School Road near Lokhandwala, the Jai Prakash (JP) Road section near the Indian Oil signal and Dattaji Salvi Road near Veera Desai Road - that were concreted around three years ago are in a similar state.
Meanwhile, four days after this newspaper's report on the state of DN Nagar and Juhu stretches was published, repair work was yet to be started.
When mid-day visited this stretch on Sunday afternoon, several minor cracks were visible. At one spot, the road surface was uneven. A resident who wished to be identified only as Sreeharsha said, "The CC [cement concrete] road was built a few years back and within such a short span it has started developing cracks at a few places, highlighting the shoddy work done by the contractor. No monitoring takes place, exposing a failed system where no one is held accountable for compromising the quality of the road."
Sushiela Bhakkar, another resident, said, "The stretch connecting Jankidevi School to Lokhandwala Back Road, a vital route for residents and commuters alike, was constructed with cement concrete (CC) around two and a half to three years ago. However, recent developments have raised concerns among locals. Why is a road that's barely three years old showing signs of deterioration?
Shouldn't the contractor who undertook the initial construction be held accountable for the quality of work? It is only fair that the authorities ensure the earlier contractor is tasked with repairing these cracks before they become a bigger issue. Moreover, as the new construction progresses, lessons must be learned to prevent it from meeting the same fate."
Illegal parking, combined with unauthorised rickshaw repair work along the same stretch, is another source of frustration for residents. Not only does this worsen congestion, but it also obstructs pedestrian pathways, creating inconvenience and safety concerns for those who use this road daily. "The cracks in the road are more than just surface-level damage. They are cracks in accountability, in oversight, and the promise of better infrastructure. The time to act is now," Bhakkar added.
The CC road from the RTO junction signal to Veera Desai signal was made over a stormwater drain. Apart from being cracked, there was also a stretch where the road surface has become uneven. mid-day has highlighted how, on a daily basis, thousands of vehicles use this important arterial stretch to travel between Veera Desai Road and the New Link Road signal near the RTO.
Dattaji Salvi Road, the surface of which is marred, was concreted less than a year ago, according to locals
Simran Singh Ailawati, a resident of Veera Desai Road, said, "Despite the stretch from the RTO junction to Veera Desai being concreted less than a year ago, the BMC has dug up the road and cracks have appeared, raising questions about the quality of the work done by the contractor. The BMC elections have been delayed and there are no corporators who can amplify the voices of citizens. It's high time the authorities started acting against errant contractors and holding them accountable for shoddy work. All across the city, roads have been dug up, inconveniencing commuters during morning and evening peak hours."
A resident, Yogesh Joshi, said there was no need to concrete the road again. "Despite Dattaji Salvi Road being in good condition, around over a year ago, the road was concreted and since then, waterlogging has increased in the area, inconveniencing residents. The newly made CC road has developed cracks at a few places, which clearly shows that the contractor had been cutting corners," Joshi said.
A visibly cracked Jai Prakash Road in Andheri West
This arterial stretch from Apna Bazar towards the Indian Oil junction signal, and during our visit, we found that the lane towards the signal was cracked in several spots. According to locals, this road was concreted less than two years ago. There was also a stretch where the surface was uneven. Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner, was unavailable for comment by press time.
Girish Arekar, Senior Indian Road Congress member
When mid-day shared pictures of the cracks that have appeared on the three roads with senior Indian Road Congress member Girish Arekar, he revealed that several factors could be at play. "One of the reasons why cracks have developed is temperature variation, which may have taken place, causing thermal expansion and contraction to happen. The variation in proportion of the material used for making CC road can also lead to cracks. Another factor could be the high number of vehicles, including ones, using a particular stretch," he said.
