With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) setting a deadline of May 31, 2025, to complete all ongoing cement concrete road works, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar has stepped up field inspections across the city to ensure progress stays on track. He has been personally visiting road works in both the eastern and western suburbs, accompanied by experts from IIT Bombay and representatives from the Quality Monitoring Agency (QMA).
During a recent late-night visit to Road No. 27 in Sion (East), F-North Ward, Bangar reviewed the status of ongoing concreting and stressed the importance of strengthening the ready-mix concrete (RMC) supply chain to meet the upcoming deadline. He urged contractors and project operators to work in close coordination and act swiftly to increase the pace of work.
As part of quality control efforts, Bangar inspected each layer of the road structure — from the granular sub-base to dry lean concrete (DLC) and the final pavement-quality concrete. IIT Bombay Associate Professor Solomon Debbarma noted that the quality and evenness of the base layers, especially the DLC, are crucial for road durability.
In addition to roadwork, Bangar reviewed the progress of water pipeline installations under footpaths in the same ward. Given that most of the water lines lie beneath footpaths, he instructed that pipelines be laid only for those stretches scheduled to be completed by May 31, to avoid future disruptions.
Following the field inspection, Bangar paid a surprise visit to the Biltech LLP RMC plant at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. He examined the automated batching systems, temperature control mechanisms, and cleanliness standards, and observed quality tests like slump and temperature checks before dispatch.
To maintain momentum, Bangar directed an increase in RMC vehicle numbers and a reduction in their turnaround time. Strengthening the supply chain and ensuring seamless coordination between RMC suppliers and road contractors, he said, is essential to delivering quality roads within the deadline.