Netas from opposition parties fear the city will face big trouble in the monsoon as road repairs and bridge constructions are stuck due to a shortage of gravel. Former minister Aaditya Thackeray, however, has claimed this is an artificial shortage, as the government has asked for gravel to be bought from a particular company.

On Wednesday Thackeray said, “It is necessary to bring all the road repair work to a safe stage by May 31. However, as the repairs have stopped, deadlines can’t be met. There will be a delay in bridge work like on the Delisle Road bridge and the Gokhale Road bridge of Andheri. The state government has ordered that gravel be bought from a certain company.”

Also Read: Mumbai: Roads, bridges work stopped, says Aaditya Thackeray

The repairs of five bridges including Delisle Road bridge and Gokhale road bridge are stuck.  Vikhroli, Vidyavihar and Carnac Bunder are the places where the work of the other three bridges is stuck. “The BMC had decided to complete a single lane of Gokhale bridge and the work of Delisle Road bridge before monsoon. But it seems this will not be completed in time,” added Thackeray.

Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Sheikh agreed. “Work on most road repairs has stopped due to a shortage of gravel. This will cause trouble in the monsoon. BMC should solve this issue on a war footing,” Sheikh said.

Former leader of the opposition in the BMC, Ravi Raja said, “Though BMC has a contract for new road repair work, it has not started yet. In 2021, the civic body had approved the repairs of 224 roads worth Rs 2,200 crore. Yet it started the repairs of only around 100 roads.” Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu did not respond to messages from this reporter.

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