On Friday, Sanket Bhondwe, Commissioner of Urban Administration and Development, observed a demonstration of the state-of-the-art ‘Jet Patcher’ machine in E-7 Arera Colony. Needless to remind, monsoon has already arrived and that is adding to commuters’ woes. Even before the rain, the condition of city streets have turned into nightmare for commuters with many finding it difficult to navigate even during the day time. But on the other side, authorities usually remain engaged in blame-game as Public Works Department points towards Bhopal Municipal Corporation and latter also shrug its responsibility. If these two departments are to be believed then Madhya Pradesh’s capital, Bhopal, has commenced the use of a new and modern technology for road repairs. Work on potholes and puddles should have been done before the monsoon. First heavy rain led to traffic congestion and long queue not only on main road but also on arterial road. Urban Administration and Development Commissioner stated that this technology is not only capable of filling potholes in less time but will also execute the work with precision and high quality, making roads more durable and robust. Everyone knows that it should have repaired service lanes before the monsoon arrived. The Jet Patcher machine utilises a pressurised injection technique to fill potholes with a special mixture of road construction materials.

 

The unique feature of this technology is that it completes work faster than traditional methods and maintains the quality of the roads. Bhondwe meticulously inspected the entire process and gathered detailed information about the machine’s operation. He emphasised that this technology will provide quick relief to citizens in urban areas and lead to significant improvement in road conditions. Other department PWD also patting their back, the Lokpath Mobile App, developed by the Public Works Department (PWD) of Madhya Pradesh, marked its first anniversary with a review meeting chaired by PWD Minister Rakesh Singh.

 

The meeting highlighted the app’s achievements, citizen engagement and future plans. “Launched on July 2, 2024, by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, the Lokpath App has received over 7,800 complaints, of which more than 95% have been promptly resolved. With around 1.5 lakh downloads, the app has gained strong public trust and usage.” But a visit to the city exposes the reality none of the area posh or poor locality is having good roads. Minister Singh congratulated the department officials and described Lokpath as an effective example of digital governance through public participation. He set a target of 5 lakh downloads in the coming year and announced a public awareness campaign to boost reach. It would be better if this euphoria comes down to the ground. During the demonstration, several senior officials were present, including Bhopal Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Tina Yadav, Chief Engineer of Urban Administration and Development Directorate Pradeep Mishra, Superintending Engineers Jeevendra Singh and Subodh Jain. All lauded this new technology, calling it a revolutionary step for repairing the city’s roads. Bhondwe stated, “The Jet Patcher technology will prove to be a game-changer for Bhopal. It will not only save time but also ensure the long-term strength of the roads.” He directed the Bhopal Municipal Corporation and the Urban Development Department to plan for the implementation of this technology in other areas as well. This initiative is expected to bring remarkable improvement to Bhopal’s road conditions, providing residents with safer and smoother traffic facilities. If we talk about PWD’s app, then it gained national attention when actor Amitabh Bachchan mentioned it during a question on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, reflecting its growing relevance. It would have been better it will become solution of people’s problem rather than putting entire focus is on PR exercise and showing off and not citizen’s convenience.

 

The department has separate software to general unique code and random sampling facility to check quality of road and present report. An order was by the PWD to place the information boards with information about construction work on all newly constructed and under construction roads with the tag line ‘Public Works to Public Welfare’ (Lok Nirman se Lok Kalyan). It would have been better if an order will be passed and implemented regarding the display borad when the road was constructed, maintenance work done and its cost. Notably, the CM launched the mobile app at the media centre in Bhopal. Through this app, people of the state can report problems on the routes and this app will also ensure the accountability of the officers. Anyone can register a complaint by taking a photo of the pothole/spoil on the roads registered in the app. The budget for PWD has been increased from Rs 7,800 crore to Rs 11,000 crore this year. For this year’s budget there is provision of construction of one lakh kilometre of roads and 500 railway over bridges (ROBs) and flyovers in the next five years. Target to build 3,500 kilometers of new roads and 70 bridges in the year 2025. Rs 18,715 crore for urban development.