No of potholes rising in city, reveals response to RTI query
| Date :20-Sep-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
Even as the length of cement roads has increased in the city, it appears that the condition of tar roads is worsening. For, if one goes by the response of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to a Right to Information (RTI) Act query, the number of potholes on city roads is increasing over the years. RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar had sought information regarding number of potholes removed by NMC between April 1, 2016 and July 31, 2019.
As per the reply given by Hot Mix Plant Department of NMC recently, the department removed 9,395 potholes in the financial year 2016-17 (from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017), 9,466 potholes in 2017-18, and 11,051 in 2018-19. In the current financial year 2019-20, the department has removed 4,874 potholes between April 1 and July 31. Thus, every year since 2016-17, the number of potholes removed by Hot Mix Plant Department has increased. If one considers the number of potholes filled in the first four months of the current financial year, and extrapolates the same, the number of potholes filled by NMC this year may increase beyond 12,000.
The information received is regarding potholes filled by NMC only. If one considers the roads under the jurisdiction of other agencies, the actual number of potholes may be too high. Kolarkar had also sought information regarding conduct of survey to know the exact number of potholes in the city. In response, the department informed him that NMC conducted zone-wise inspection of roads before monsoon and repairs the same. “Potholes develop every day and those are repaired on a regular basis,” it stated. It added that the responsibility of restoration of roads rested with Maha Metro, agencies constructing cement roads and flyovers if they dig up roads for development works. In the recent days, people have been complaining about bad condition of roads and potholes.
There are some stretches that witness heavy traffic, but the potholes are resulting in minor accidents and troubles every day. One of such patches is the road from Dharampeth College to Swami Vivekanand Statue at Ambazari spillover point. There are not only potholes but also deep scratches looking like those effected by excavators. Waterlogging during rainfall and loose metal make the patch risky, especially for two-wheeler riders. On the road from Jaitala Market, there is a big pothole right near Mangalmurti Square. There are several patches in Pardi, parts of Indora, internal roads in other parts of the city, where condition of roads is utterly bad. Against this backdrop, it remains to be seen how many potholes NMC claims to have repaired by the end of this financial year.