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PMC claims 90% potholes repaired, citizens counter
While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is claiming to have patched-up 90% of the city’s potholes, citizens and activists are begging to differ
While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is claiming to have patched-up 90% of the city’s potholes, citizens and activists are begging to differ.
PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar said, “As there are no rains for the last three days, the civic administration is working on a war footing to repair the potholes. The PMC has mended nearly 90% of the potholes and attended to places that are prone to waterlogging.”
“The PMC administration is working in three shifts to repair the potholes and level the manholes in the city and merged villages. The PMC has repaired 848 potholes and cleared 65 drainage chambers,” he said.
Ravindra Panchal, a citizen, said, “I am staying in the Ambegaon area. If the municipal administration conducts a drive in Ambegaon and Navale bridge area, they will find more than 1,000 potholes in this locality alone.”
Another resident, Ratna Damle, said, “I stay in the Dhyari area. I have stopped riding two-wheelers due to the potholes. In many places, roads are uneven. There is a gap between the road and side margin as well.”
Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “In trying to patch-up the potholes, the PMC is creating another problem rather than solving an existing one. The PMC is filling the potholes with sand which is breaking loose and spreading on the entire road. There is a greater chance of skidding on roads covered with sand when there is moderate rain. The PMC should first clear the sand from roads.”
Congress city unit secretary Hrishikesh Balgude even met the police commissioner and demanded that a police complaint be filed against all PMC contractors and officers.
However, a senior officer from the PMC road department said, “The PMC is implementing the 24x7 water scheme in the city. For this, it has dug nearly 250km of roads till date. Other agencies too have dug roads for cable laying etc. Once roads are dug, potholes emerge.”
Whereas VG Kulkarni, head of the PMC road department, said, “We are using various techniques to repair the potholes. We have even assigned dedicated machinery for the purpose. We have appointed flying squads to monitor the roads. These squads are reporting new potholes after which the maintenance team reaches the spot and repairs the said pothole.”
