Published On : Tue, Sep 28th, 2021

No relief in sight: Nagpurians to bear with potholes on roads till Dec end

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NMC to carry out repairs of craters only by the year end

Nagpur: The tormented Nagpurians will have to bear with life-threatening potholes on most of the roads in the city as Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) would not be resolving the burning issue till the December end. The NMC bosses on Monday informed the General Body Meeting that the civic body would carry out the repairs of potholes by the year end.

Facing the heat from the furious Corporators, the Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, admitted to 40 per cent rise in potholes this year and attributed the same to non repairs during one and a half years in view of Covid-19 pandemic that led to dip in earnings and diversion of funds to health sector. The NMC boss said an action plan has been chalked out by NMC to repair the damaged roads but till rains stop the potholes are going to trouble people. During rains the tar does not stick and hence repairs undertaken so far failed to provide respite to the citizens. In the long run, NMC is planning to install a new hot mix plant as the current one is quite old and has limited capacity. The Municipal Commissioner said the administration is looking at results from Insta patcher and jet patcher, they use cold mix as against hot mix and that provides better patch work.

Taking the NMC babus to task, Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari said that the officials should have planned and repaired the roads before commencement of monsoon. He said that tender should be floated and rate contracts with private agencies should be finalised before the start of the financial year. Then, work can be done by private agencies whenever required in the entire year. This will not delay work due to tender and other processes in the bad situation which is prevailing now, the Mayor asserted. He directed the NMC administration to repair potholes as soon as possible.

Acting on the complaints of some Corporators, the Mayor ordered an inquiry into quantum and quality of works done through jetpatcher machines. “Officials are taking salaries from public money and are responsible for the work. The Municipal Commissioner should initiate action against engineers who fail to plan and execute works within stipulated time. Also action should be taken against contractors who delay work. Responsibility must be fixed on officials for the poor condition of roads,” Tiwari said.

Prakash Bhoyar, Chairperson, Standing Committee and Pradeep Pohane, ex-Chairperson, questioned the effectiveness of jetpatchers and Insta patcher in repairing potholes. If they are so effective then why doesn’t the civic administration increase outlay for usage of these machines during the rainy season when potholes dot the city roads.

Earlier, Ajay Pohekar, Executive Engineer, PWD, informed the House that civic administration has identified a need to fill 60,000 square metres of pits on the main roads of the city. Hot Mix Department plans to fill 27,000 square metres of pits with asphalt mix from the NIT’s Plant and remaining pits will be filled by jetpatchers and insta patchers.