E-Paper
Continuous rain exposes civic work: Potholes on all major roads in Pune city
PMC is also in the process of laying pipelines for its 24x7 water scheme, because of which, several roads were dug up before the rains began
Continuous rain in the city over the past four days has exposed the Pune Municipal Corporation’s poor road resurfacing work undertaken as part of its pre-monsoon preparations.
The PMC is also in the process of laying pipelines for its 24x7 water scheme, because of which, several roads were dug up before the rains began.
Currently, potholes have developed on all prominent roads in the city.
VJ Kulkarni, head of the road department said, “It is true that potholes have developed on the roads, which were mainly dug-up for various works. Once a road gets dug-up, the ‘life’ of that road reduces.”
Kulkarni added, “Once the rains take a break, we will start to clear the potholes. This cannot be done in the rain.”
During lockdown, PMC carried road works on Tilak road, Bajirao road, Shivaji road, and Sahakarnagar among other parts of the city.
The allegation by residents and activists, especially those residing in areas with these pothole-ridden roads, is that the PMC, after digging-up the roads, re-surface it with cement.
“The rest of the road is tar and the part which got dug-up is now levelled by pouring cement. This cement has come out in the rain causing potholes,” said one angry resident on Tilak road, requesting anonymity.
Recently, the BJP, the ruling party in the civic body, had issued a statement saying, “Citizens must co-operate with the civic body as it is executing the water project. Water lines are getting changed. Due to development works, roads getting dug up.”
The PMC’s road department said that as roads are being dug-up for the water project, more money will have to be set aside on for road maintenance in the future. Under the 24x7 water project, a total of 1,800 km of roads will be dug-up for laying of pipelines in the city.
