Mumbai: Civic contractors have refused to dump debris and silt at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai for landfill for the Reliance SEZ here. This has brought road works across the city to a standstill. So, Mumbaikars can now look forward to the same bumpy rides over bad roads during the next monsoons as well, since the civic body will not have completed its roadworks by then.
After the last monsoons, infrastructure projects like road and drainworks began in full swing. At the moment, there is no dumping ground for debris generated by the digging up of roads and cleaning of drains, which leaves the BMC contractors in a dilemma.
The BMCs dumping grounds are closed to construction debris. Deonar and Mulund are already overflowing with debris, ever since the closure of the Gorai ground last year. The BMC has, therefore, stopped allowing any more debris to be brought to these grounds.
The BMC was in search of a dumping ground, and relief seemed in sight when Reliance agreed to accept the debris to fill land at their SEZ in Kalamboli. But when the BMC put this solution to its contractors, they were reluctant to dump debris at Kalamboli because it involves major expenses.
One road contractor said, "It is not possible for us to dump debris at Kalamboli. Because it is expensive as well as time consuming. If the BMC bears the cost for dumping at Kalamboli, we will start work." Interestingly, the BMC had mentioned in its contract that it would provide a dumping ground within Mumbai for dumping construction debris.
An officer from the BMCs roads department said that work on about 60 roads is yet to begin. "Contractors are not ready to dump the debris and silt at Kalamboli, which is proving much too expensive for them," he said. The 60 roads which need to be improved and upgraded include those near the Worli sea face, the Milan Nagar vehicular bridge at Andheri, the Anik-Wadala Road, Film City road in Goregaon, one stretch of P DMello Road and the Gazdhar Bandh Road in Santa Cruz.
The BMC has budgeted Rs8,617 crore this year for infrastructure projects and so far has spent only Rs981 crore. The civic administration had earmarked Rs460 crore for 120 asphalt roads and Rs490 crore for 36 cement concrete roads.
