Ganeshotsav 2025: BMC Struggles To Repair Potholes Ahead Of Anant Chaturdashi

Mumbai: With only hours left until Anant Chaturdashi, the final day of Ganesh idol immersions, the BMC has managed to fill just 100 potholes in the past 24 hours. As Sarvajanik Ganesh idols prepare for immersion starting Saturday morning, 586 potholes still mar the city’s roads (as of Friday 8 pm) Compounding the challenge, heavy rainfall on Friday has brought the BMC’s last-minute pothole repairs to a halt.

Civic Assurances Amid Rainy Setbacks

After failing to make city roads pothole-free, the BMC assured Ganeshotsav Mandals it would complete repairs before Anant Chaturdashi. Ward-wise engineering teams were deployed to fill potholes within 24 to 48 hours.

With no heavy rain initially, potholes were reduced from 1,400 to 600. However, heavy rains on Friday interrupted repairs. "Engineers have been instructed to prioritise pothole filling along immersion routes," said a senior civic official.

Ganesh Mandals Express Concern

However, Girish Walawalkar, secretary of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), criticised the delay, saying, “All potholes should have been repaired at least a week before Anant Chaturdashi. Earlier, civic officials and local representatives would inspect pothole repairs, but with no elected body now, there’s no pressure on the administration to complete the work.”

He added that Ganeshotsav Mandals have been advised to carry steel plates to cover potholes, allowing trolleys carrying idols to pass smoothly despite the poor road conditions.

BMC Pothole Data and Road Repairs

As per the to real-time data available on the BMC's official website, the total number of potholes reported in Mumbai between June 04 and September 05 has reached 13,519. Out of these, 3,696 complaints were found to be unrelated to potholes.

As of Friday evening, the BMC has filled 12,933 potholes, while 1,014 potholes are located on roads managed by other agencies and therefore fall outside the BMC’s jurisdiction.

Budget Allocation and Concretisation Efforts

To address recurring road damage, especially on asphalt and paver-block roads that have not yet been concretised, the BMC has allocated Rs 154 crore for repair work this year — a reduction from Rs 205 crore in 2024. Of Mumbai’s 2,050 km road network, 1,333 km have already been concretised.

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The remaining 700 km will be upgraded under a Rs 17,000 crore mega concretisation project. Phase I will cover 320 km across 700 roads, while Phase II will take on 378 km across 1,421 roads. By May 31, the civic body had completed 49% of the road concretisation work. The remaining work is scheduled to resume in October, after the monsoon season.