Delhi: 3,400 potholes to be repaired in one day

PWD minister Parvesh Verma announced a campaign on June 24 to repair 3,400 potholes on 1,400km of roads, ensuring accountability and quality standards.

Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma on Monday said that PWD and other agencies will repair more than 3,400 potholes on 1,400km of roads on June 24. Verma said the drive will focus on arterial roads and high risk zones.

A pothole being repaired on Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi in 2023. (HT Archive)

“It’s not that no work has been done in the past four months — pothole repair has been ongoing but with the monsoon approaching anytime now, we’ve decided that tomorrow, 3,400 identified potholes will be repaired in a single day...this is not a symbolic event but the beginning of an accountable system. When work is done without corruption, potholes won’t even appear. When work is done according to PWD’s defined standards, the public won’t suffer,” Verma said.

A PWD official said that the agency has already marked potholes through residents’ complaints, zonal surveys, and drone mapping. “Over 200 maintenance vans — equipped with advanced repair technology and high-quality materials — have been deployed for this one-day campaign. More than 1,000 personnel including 70 AEs (Assistant Engineers), 150 JEs (Junior Engineers), workers, and supervisors will be deployed on the ground,” the official added.

Verma’s office said that geo-tagged and time-stamped photos will be taken before and after each repair. “The minister will be on the ground monitoring operations in real time. Each zone will have a designated AE and a senior engineer who will be held accountable for outcomes. The entire plan is based on public complaints and suggestions. Local MLAs will oversee the entire process and stay in direct contact with the public,” the official added.

Verma said PWD has already completed 150km of new roads, with another 100 km to be completed in the coming days, and 500 km of roads will be re-carpeted by next March. “Post-repair quality inspections will be mandatory in every zone. Maintenance vans will remain active throughout the monsoon season to prevent the reformation of potholes,” he said.