Civic authorities have mandated that all newly constructed footpaths alongside concrete roads in Mumbai be inclusive and disability-friendly. These footpaths must feature smooth, obstacle-free surfaces to ensure safe and hassle-free movement for persons with disabilities. Crucially, tactile paving with vertical and horizontal lines is to be installed to assist visually impaired individuals in navigating safely and detecting potential hazards.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project), Abhijit Bangar, inspected ongoing precast concrete (PQC) roadworks in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday night. The areas covered during the inspection included roads near Holy Angels High School and Junior College in Mulund (East), Customs Colony in Powai, the old market area in Hiranandani, Saki Vihar Road, and Shell Colony in Chembur Co-operative Nagar.
The laying of PQC is currently underway and expected to be completed within seven days, after which work will shift to the final stages of road finishing. Bangar examined challenging sections of the construction, addressed engineers’ concerns, and issued instructions to resolve existing issues.
He stressed that final road components — including thermoplastic markings, cat’s eyes, directional boards, traffic safety signs, and junction grids — must be of high quality and should not be compromised. Officials were instructed to prepare a detailed Google Sheet outlining all essential finishing elements for the concrete roads to ensure meticulous completion.
During the inspection near Holy Angels High School, Bangar noted that filling joints with bitumen was adversely affecting the road’s appearance. He directed officials to avoid this practice and recommended the mandatory use of Abro tape when applying silicone sealant or bitumen for joint filling.
In Powai, the presence of chamber covers at regular intervals on footpaths created uneven surfaces, conflicting with universal accessibility standards. Bangar said, “If a chamber cover falls within a tactile paving zone, we must consult experts to maintain an inclusive design.”
At Saki Vihar, a basin-like depression causing water accumulation was identified between two points 90 metres apart. Bangar ordered this section to be raised using concrete filling, with work planned after the monsoon season.
Source: The Free Press Journal.
