MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told TOI that the state government would work out a comprehensive policy to resolve the pothole menace in Maharashtra. "The government will work out a comprehensive policy regarding potholes," he said, responding to a question on pothole-ridden roads across the state.
A senior bureaucrat from the urban development department said a comprehensive policy would ensure the use of quality material for road repairs. It will probably give clear guidelines on accountability also, he said.
Most of the municipal corporations in the state have started filling up potholes temporarily with cold mix. But residents stressed the temporary job made no sense because the mix would be washed away in the rain.
Against this backdrop, a bureaucrat said laying concrete roads was the only solution and a budget should be allocated for them. "Rich corporations may be able to fund it but not all," he said.
A senior expert from the public works department (PWD) said concrete roads were a costly option. He said the cold mix technology might be used amid monsoon till any other technique was adopted so that citizens were not inconvenienced.
He said the hot mix technology comprises heated crushed metal stones and bitumen, which reduced the viscosity. "The cold mix bitumen in small drums is heated separately, while crushed stones are placed in the potholes. Using hot mix is not possible in monsoon because it requires a dry surface. ," he said.
