Mumbai’s monsoon brings back the pothole menace – over 6,758 cases reported from June to mid-July. Andheri West (K/West ward) topped the list with 488 complaints, closely followed by Bhandup (S ward) with 453. However, officials noted a sharp decline in the quantity of mastic used for pothole repairs over the past year.

Despite BMC’s efforts to make Mumbai pothole-free by concretising 49% of city roads before the monsoon, data indicates that the number of complaints have increased this year. Launched in 2022, the road concretisation project aims to eliminate potholes, with remaining work scheduled to resume in October. Between June 1 and July 15, pothole reports rose from 6,231 in 2024 to 6,758 in 2025, indicating a spike despite ongoing efforts.

To address the issue, BMC deployed road engineers for daily inspections in each ward, while citizens report complaints via social media, the civic disaster management helpline, and the ‘My Pothole Quick Fix’ app. Of the total complaints, 3,461 were received through these digital channels, while 3,297 were identified by civic engineers.

The BMC uses mastic asphalt to fix potholes during the monsoon, deploying 8 to 10 mastic cookers daily. “In 2024, 25,632 metric tonnes of mastic were consumed for repairs and pre-monsoon maintenance, but only 6,548 metric tonnes have been used so far this year. The deployment of mastic cookers has also declined, with a daily peak of 33 in 2024 compared to 24 this year. A civic officer added, “We aim to identify and repair potholes early to prevent safety risks.”

This year too, the BMC has assigned one road engineer to each of its 227 wards, responsible for daily inspections within a 10–15 km radius and resolving pothole complaints within 24–48 hours. For asphalt and paver-block roads yet to be concretised, the civic body has allocated Rs. 154 crore for repairs, which was Rs. 205 crores last year. 

Mumbai’s road network spans 2,050 km, of which 1,333 km are already concretised. The remaining 700 km of asphalt and paver-block roads will be concretised in this 17,000 crores mega drive. The project aims to concretise 700 km of roads across the city—320 km (700 roads) in phase I and 378 km (1,421 roads) in phase II. 

Mumbai: In a dramatic rescue in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade, a police constable from Cuffe Parade Police Station saved a man from drowning in the Arabian Sea during an apparent suicide attempt on Sunday. The incident occurred near the Geeta Nagar seashore on a day marked by heavy rainfall and high tide.

Acting on a tip-off, Police Constable Randhve rushed to the spot and with the help of a local fishing boat, ventured into the rough waters. Displaying exceptional courage and quick thinking, he managed to rescue the distressed man before tragedy could strike.

Mumbai Police Shares Rescue Video

Mumbai Police shared a video of the incident on their official handle on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Cuffe Parade Police Station’s Mobile 1 vehicle received information about a man who had gone deep into the sea at Geeta Nagar, Cuffe Parade with suicidal intent. Police Constable Randhve showed prompt presence of mind, went into the sea using a local fisherman’s boat and saved the man’s life.”

Netizens Praise Hero Cop’s Brave Attempt

The heroic act drew widespread praise from netizens. “Job well done Officer,” said a user. “You guys are Real life heroes,” said another. “Hats off to u guys today there was High tide and Geeta Nagar is a complicated place,” commented a user for the cop’s bravery.

25-Year-Old Man Rescued From Strong Stream Near Pandavkada Waterfall In Navi Mumbai

In a separate incident in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar, a 25-year-old man named Vikas Khande was rescued from a raging stream near the popular Pandavkada waterfall. According to Fire Officer Pravin Bodkhe, Khande had ventured out to enjoy the monsoon weather but became stranded due to sudden flooding in the stream caused by relentless rain.

The Kharghar Fire Brigade had initially been dispatched to clear fallen trees near the Fanasvadi Adivasi hamlet around 11:30 am. While handling the obstruction, they received a distress call about the trapped man. A Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) team rushed to the site, where they found Khande stuck in rapidly rising waters. Using ropes and safety harnesses, the fire personnel successfully pulled him to safety.

A storm of protests has erupted online as thousands of SSC aspirants take to social media platforms to voice their frustration under hashtags like #SSCVendorFailure, #SSCMisManagement, and #SSCReform. The uproar follows a series of technical glitches, infrastructure issues, and exam cancellations linked to the new vendor responsible for conducting SSC recruitment exams.

What began as scattered complaints has snowballed into a coordinated digital movement, with aspirants flooding X (formerly Twitter) with testimonies of botched exam experiences, inaccessible centers, and last-minute cancellations. Several students are demanding accountability from the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the removal of the current vendor.

Students are alleging that the system crashes during exams, experiences technical glitches, centres 500-1000 km away and has last-minute cancellations. Students are now demanding a thorough investigation, transparent communication, and urgent reforms to restore faith in the SSC recruitment system. The controversy follows widespread technical issues during the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exams, leaving thousands in distress.

SSC Selection Post Phase 13 Exams Cancelled at Select Centres Due to Technical Issues

The SSC has cancelled the Selection Post Phase 13 exams at specific centres due to technical and administrative problems. The exams, which began on July 24 and are scheduled to continue until August 1, faced disruptions on the first day.

As per the official notice, exams held at Pawan Ganga Educational Centre 2 between July 24 and July 26 have been cancelled for administrative reasons. Affected candidates will now appear for the rescheduled exams starting July 28, with revised details to be shared shortly. Additionally, the first shift at Educasa International, Hubbali, scheduled on July 24 (9:30 AM to 10:30 AM), was cancelled due to a technical glitch.

Netizens’ Reactions

Amid widespread disruptions in the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exams, students across India have taken to social media to express their frustration, calling out technical failures, poor management, and lack of transparency.

“Dear SSC, our dreams are not a joke!” wrote one aspirant. “Technical failures, paper leaks, and vendor mismanagement are destroying years of our hard work. We deserve justice and transparency.”

Another user questioned the outsourcing of such a critical process to private firms: “We’ve repeatedly said that instead of outsourcing the exams to private vendors, SSC should develop its own software and take full responsibility. The future of millions of youth should not be handed over to profit-driven companies.”

Many candidates shared emotional accounts of traveling long distances, only to face last-minute cancellations: “Is there no value for students’ efforts in this country? First, they gave us centers 500 km away, and then cancelled the exam. Is this some kind of joke?”

Another user said, “An exam isn’t just for one day — it’s years of preparation. Students traveled 500 km, and then were told the exam was cancelled. Why? Does anyone have an answer?”

Poor exam centre conditions were another major concern raised by aspirants: “We faced extreme discomfort — no fans, broken chairs, suffocating rooms, and image-based questions not loading. Is this what India’s competitive exams have come to? We demand accountability.”

A comprehensive list of recurring issues was also highlighted by students:

“SSC cannot ignore these issues any longer:

– Mouse not working

– Invigilators chatting

– Server crash & last-minute cancellations

– Centres 500-1000 km away

– No security checks