VASAI – Virar potholes | The Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation has prioritised pothole repairs on 26 roads connecting major Dahi Handi venues, two days before the festival, after damaged stretches raised safety and mobility concerns for Govinda teams and residents.
The festival is expected to draw Govinda groups from Vasai-Virar, Mumbai, Thane and nearby cities. However, several roads leading to celebration venues and key routes across the city continue to have large potholes, according to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar.
The affected routes include Achole Road in Nalasopara, roads connecting Nalasopara East and West, roads in Manickpur and Sativali in Vasai, Tungarphata, Naigaon-Juchandra routes, roads connecting to Virar railway station and stretches linking the city to the highway. The report said potholes are also present on roads near industrial areas and on routes in the eastern parts of Vasai-Virar.
Residents have been seeking road repairs ahead of the festival. The damaged roads have contributed to traffic congestion and travel difficulties, particularly during the monsoon. The report also noted complaints about physical discomfort caused by travelling on uneven roads, including neck and back pain.
The municipal corporation had earlier assured residents that potholes would be filled before Dahi Handi. The assurance was given during a meeting held last month to discuss arrangements for the festival, according to the report.
The civic body’s construction department said it had prepared a list of 26 roads connecting Dahi Handi venues and given repair work on those roads priority. Work on 25 of the 26 roads was described as nearly complete. The department did not specify in the report which road remained incomplete.
By ward, pothole-filling work in wards A, B, C, D, E, G and H was reported to be between 70% and 80% complete. Work in wards A, C and F was progressing more slowly because of the unavailability of asphalt, municipal officials said. The report contains overlapping references to ward A in the two categories.
Dahi Handi events in Vasai are being organised by political parties, current and former legislators, corporators and private organisations. Several venues offer prizes, attracting teams from across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The condition of access roads therefore remains a concern for participants travelling in groups and for residents using the same routes during the festival.
The civic administration’s stated next step is to complete pothole repairs on the prioritised routes before the Dahi Handi celebrations. Municipal officials said work on the listed roads was being undertaken on priority, with completion dependent in some wards on the availability of asphalt.
