₹65 crore spent on road repair in Kalyan-Dombivli, yet roads full of potholes

In last five years, a total of ₹65Cr has been spent on road repair works in Kalyan-Dombivli. Yet, there are complaints of bumpy rides due to potholes every monsoon.

In last five years, a total of around ₹65Cr has been spent on road repair works in Kalyan-Dombivli. However, despite spending so much on roads, there are complaints of bumpy rides due to potholes raised by motorists every monsoon.

Pothole on Subhash Bridge in Kalyan despite crores of rupees spent on road repair works. (Rishikesh Chaudhary/ht photo)

Commuters claim that the situation is the same every year as almost the same roads develop potholes during the monsoon.

“We can see the civic body filling the potholes, repairing the road and asphalting them. However, what is the point when every monsoon, the roads develop different sizes of craters. There is nothing permanent when it comes to the roads in Kalyan-Dombivli. For how many years will we keep spending crores of rupees on the roads,” said Mahendra Singh, 39, a motorist who takes the Subhash Bridge in Kalyan (W) to connect to Kalyan (E) daily to reach his shop.

According to KDMC, the road in the city develops potholes due to several reasons including lack of funds for regular resurfacing of roads, climatic conditions, no proper storm water drainage system along these roads, encroachments and the continuous increasing movement of vehicles in the city.

In KDMC, there are roads that cover 480km, out of which 450km are asphalt roads and the rest 30km are cement concrete roads.

“These roads require resurfacing and strengthening every four to five years, which we don’t do on all the roads due to lack of funds. What we do is repair the roads on a yearly basis without resurfacing. Strengthening is done depending on the vehicle load, traffic situation of the existing roads, ensuring there are no potholes. This is one major reason why the potholes are developed,” said Sapna Koli, city engineer, KDMC.

As per the KDMC, resurfacing is carried out on roads considering the vehicular traffic on the stretch. Depending on this, the layer of tar is given. It also includes the work of drainage lines along the roads.

“Another major reason for potholes is the lack of proper storm water drain. This year, the rain intensity was higher in a short period of time and there is no proper place for the water to flow from the road. Proper drainage lines make a major difference to the condition of the road,” added Koli.

The KDMC has taken up mastic asphalting at different stretches. It lasts longer than the regular asphalting. The Subhash (Waldhuni) bridge in Kalyan was covered with mastic asphalt three years ago and no potholes were seen on the bridge until a few were seen during this monsoon.

“The life of mastic asphalting is for three years. We did the F-Cabin Road and are doing mastic asphalting on Thakurli Bridge in Kalyan,” added Koli.

Around ₹50 lakh was spent for mastic asphalting on the Subhash Bridge. However, this type of asphalting is not feasible for all the roads as it has disadvantages of road turning slippery during the monsoon.

“What I have noticed is the tender for the road repair work is done for six months right before the monsoon. For the remaining six months, no major works for roads are undertaken. The civic body should utilise these six months to ensure the roads are repaired in a proper way,” said Sreeniwas Ghanekar, founder of Alert Citizens Forum.

“The work done is also sub-standard in which both the contractors and the civic officials need to be blamed. There is no proper inspection of work. The civic body spends crores of rupees every year and still there is no permanent solution to this.”

Meanwhile, irked with the bad roads in Ulhasnagar, the traders association and auto rickshaw union in the city have warned that they would beg in public places and collect funds for repairing the roads if the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) fails to fill potholes in three days.

“This is the only way now we can get the roads repaired and be free of potholes. Most roads in the city have huge potholes. It is very difficult to commute. The auto drivers at Ulhasnagar railway station have also extended their support to our decision. We will literally beg and collect funds and fill the potholes,” said Sonu Ahuja, president of Shivshankar Shopkeepers Association.