Mumbai: Abhijit Bangar Conducts Late-Night Inspection as BMC Speeds Up Roadwork Before Monsoon

A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed Mumbai’s cement concretization drive, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar conducted a surprise late-night inspection of key roadwork sites across the city’s western suburbs. Bangar revealed that a record 3,116 cubic meters of concrete had been poured across 101 sites on April 15, 2025 alone.

With the monsoon season fast approaching, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is ramping up efforts to ensure pothole-free roads. Bangar’s inspection on April 16 focused on critical sites such as Shree Agrasen Maharaj Chowk (Santacruz East), Hanuman Nagar and Natwar Nagar (Jogeshwari East), Pawanbagh Road (Goregaon West), and Shree Ayyappa Mandir Road (Borivali West).

Emphasizing strict adherence to quality standards, Bangar directed that proper compaction with Dry Lean Concrete (DLC) must precede the laying of Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC). "Road strength and load-bearing capacity must be ensured through proper soil compaction. FDD (Field Dry Density) tests are crucial and must be regularly reviewed," he said.

At Shree Ayyappa Mandir Road, Bangar instructed a redesign of the road alignment to preserve existing trees, stating, “Preserving greenery while developing infrastructure is our responsibility.”

In Jogeshwari East, he inspected the integration of new roads with existing routes and ordered all underground utility chambers to be cleaned before the rains to prevent waterlogging. He also stressed the importance of improved jointing to avoid cracks and directed that NOCs from the traffic police be acquired promptly to prevent delays.

Highlighting the project's scale, Bangar revealed that a record 3,116 cubic meters of concrete had been poured across 101 sites on April 15 alone. While praising the pace of work, he cautioned, "Speed should not come at the expense of quality. Roads not yet worked on must be protected from potholes, and workforce capacity should be increased to meet deadlines."

The inspection also covered Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Road (Santacruz East to Kalina Military Camp), where Bangar instructed engineers to complete junction-to-junction work by May 31. He recommended using mastic asphalt for temporary vehicular movement where necessary.

On-site quality assurance tests, including slump tests, cube testing, moisture level analysis, and FDD, all met the expected standards. The inspection was attended by IIT Bombay’s Assistant Professor Solomon Debbarma, BMC Chief Engineer (Roads & Traffic) Girish Nikam, Deputy Chief Engineer (Western Suburbs) Sanjay Borse, and representatives from the quality control agency.