Shinde makes unannounced visit to potholed Ghodbunder road; immediate repairs begin

Thane, Aug 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday conducted a "surprise" visit of a potholed stretch of the arterial Thane-Ghodbunder Road, which has witnessed crippling traffic congestion during monsoon, and also reviewed the ongoing road works at Gaimukh Ghat.

Shinde expressed serious concern on the dangerous state of the road, which had been repaired just a year ago by the Public Works Department, an official statement said.

"Despite repairs, the road has fallen apart again. This cannot be tolerated. Many people have lost their lives here. This is serious," Shinde said while directing officials to ensure good quality work that will last.

"Full precautions must be taken to avoid recurrence of damage. No compromises will be tolerated in the new phase of repairs," the statement quoted Shinde as saying.

Officials, who swung into action following the admonition from Shinde, said the entire stretch at Gaimukh Ghat will be completely dug up and rebuilt.

"The repair work began on Friday and will continue over the weekend, during which heavy traffic will remain entirely suspended in the area. The reconstruction will follow a multi-layered approach, starting with WBM (water bound macadum) routing, followed by a four-inch mastic layer, asphalt topping, and cement concrete surfacing, all done in phases to ensure durability," an official said.

The inspection of the works and a subsequent review meeting was attended by Thane Collector Shrikrishna Panchal, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and senior personnel from Mira-Bhayander and Thane civic bodies, the official said.

Officials informed Shinde that issues raised by the Forest Department over road widening at Gaimukh Ghat would be addressed soon. PTI COR BNM