Bombay municipal corporation wants pothole-filling technology but firms want contract, not royalty

MUMBAI: Road repair work of over Rs 2,500 crore is expected to begin across Mumbai from Saturday, but pothole repairs seem a long way off as the BMC is still negotiating to obtain the technology to fill potholes.
The civic body has told companies, whose pothole filling material on Mumbai roads has remained intact, that it wants their technology in return for a royalty. But civic sources said the companies are reluctant to share their technology and would instead prefer to do the work themselves.
Since August this year, the BMC got five companies, namely Ecogreen Infrastructure, Shalimar Seal & Tar Products Pvt Ltd, Smartage Projects Pvt Ltd, Organo Chemicals and Art Infra Solutions Pvt Ltd, to fill potholes on some city roads.Of these, work done by Organo Chemical is yet to be inspected as the potholes were filled only on September 12 and the BMC will inspect the site only after a month. Work done by Ecogreen Infrastructure, Smartage Projects and Art Infra Solutions was found to be intact while the mixture used by the others did not last.
However, the BMC is not keen on buying the mixture from the companies whose material was found to be intact as their cost varies between Rs 130-175 per kg while the BMC’s pothole filling mixture costs only Rs 9 per kg. A senior civic official from the BMC roads department said, “We have hence asked these companies to share the technology, used to make the mixture to fill potholes, with us in exchange for a royalty. However, they are not keen on doing so. Considering our mixture costs Rs 9 per kg, the price at which they are selling us their mix is not economical.” Incidentally, the mixture used by the BMC to fill potholes has been washed away time and again, each year.
The roads where these companies had filled in potholes include Mahim, Senapati Bapat Marg, TH Kataria Marg Bridge, Kandivli, Golibar Road, Ghatkopar (West) and VN Purav, BARC.
“We have streamlined every road repair work being done this year by putting checks at every point. The vigilance department has also been strengthened and all works will be scrutinized very carefully. We also plan to prepare a separate standard-operating-procedure for local ward officials, to keep a check on work in their respective areas,” said an official.