NCP’s Ghulam Nabi Farooqui Slams Civic Body Over Pothole Denial in Mira Road

Calls Municipal Claims False; Says Roads Are Dangerous, Civic Chief “Blind to Ground Reality”

Mira Road: The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) launched a scathing attack on the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) following recent press statements claiming there were no potholes on roads across the city. NCP leader Ghulam Nabi Farooqui released a video rebuttal, exposing numerous potholes and accusing the civic administration of endangering public lives.

The controversy erupted after reports published in Marathi dailies Lokmat and Hamara Mahanagar highlighted the deteriorating condition of Mira-Bhayandar’s roads, directly contradicting MBMC’s earlier claims. In response, City Engineer Deepak Khambit issued a clarification, blaming ongoing MMRDA infrastructure works, sewer line repairs, and highway development for the state of the roads.

Khambit claimed that three contractors had been appointed to fix potholes during the monsoon and pointed out that certain stretches, including National Highway 8, fall under the National Highway Authority. He also stated that Metro Line 9 construction by MMRDA from Dahisar Check Naka to Bhayandar (Subhash Chandra Bose Ground) was contributing to roadwork-related disruptions.

Farooqui, however, rejected this explanation outright, accusing the administration of misleading the public. In a detailed video tour, he highlighted dangerous potholes at Haideri Chowk, NE School, Lodha Road, and near Ganga Complex in Naya Nagar, Mira Road.

Standing at these locations, Farooqui stated, “This city has become a city of potholes. People’s lives are at risk, and the municipal corporation is mocking them.” He further criticized Khambit: “Sitting in an air-conditioned office, the city engineer can’t see the reality on the roads.”

Farooqui also pointed out that two schools are located near the pothole-ridden streets where mothers ride scooters to drop their children. Near a local hospital, he highlighted a critical pothole zone, questioning, “If an ambulance accident occurs here, who will take responsibility — Mr. Khambit or the MBMC?”