Mumbaikars Can Now Report A Pothole To BMC & Get Paid ₹500 If Not Fixed Within 24 Hrs

Road accidents caused by potholes is a significant problem in the state of Maharashtra which needs immediate fixing by the state government. According to a previous report by Hindustan Times, there were 3 cases of pothole deaths in August alone. Another more recent report by TOI claimed that potholes have claimed the lives of 2,640 lives at an average in the past 3 years.

In a bid to fix this problem across Mumbai, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come up with a unique initiative. According to a report by Times Now, BMC has introduced the #PotholeChallenge2019 which urges Mumbaikars to inform them about potholes. If within 24 hours the reported pothole is unfixed, the informer is to get Rs 500.

BMC took to its official Twitter account to post about the challenge. Turns out, the challenge comes with a few conditions.

1. The pothole is to be reported only via BMC’s Fixit app.
2. The potholes should be at least 1 ft across in length and 3 inches deep.
3. One person can report only 2 potholes.
4. The person who reports a particular pothole first will be given the compensation if it remains unfixed.
5. Informers have to take a selfie with the pothole.

We accept the #PotholeChallenge2019 & we nominate YOU to help us win! Click a picture/selfie with a pothole, report on #FixItApp & we promise to fix it within 24 hrs. If not, you pocket Rs. 500! Report via https://t.co/eH6CsOifYF
Or visit: https://t.co/UQ4DbfpbHZ pic.twitter.com/lQPSkvFn6M

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) November 1, 2019

Ready for the #PotholeChallenge2019? Then check out the below guidelines on how to make the best of it. Let no pothole go unfixed. Download the #FixItApp app here:https://t.co/eH6CsOifYF
Or visit: https://t.co/UQ4DbfpbHZ pic.twitter.com/xHZmJarYuN

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) November 1, 2019

The challenge will only be valid until November 7.

However, certain problems come with the challenge. Since the dimension of a pothole already defined, will the others, which don’t match the measurements, not be fixed? Do Mumbaikars have to carry a measuring tape all the time? Also, is it safe to measure a pothole in the middle of a busy road? These questions haven’t been clarified.

“For a Mumbaikar, any uneven patch on which a two-wheeler skids, is a pothole. Even if a few paver blocks are missing, it’s a pothole. I will show the BMC several potholes in my area,” said activist Nikhil Desai.

We don’t know if the Pothole Challenge will benefit the city. But we can all agree that the government should take more serious steps in fixing a problem which is the cause behind a serious number of accidents and deaths.