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PMC spent Rs221 crore on clearing potholes in past decade
Over the past decade, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has spent Rs221 crore just on repairing potholes and levelling manholes in the city, with the highest amount of Rs57
Over the past decade, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has spent Rs221 crore just on repairing potholes and levelling manholes in the city, with the highest amount of Rs57.50 crore earmarked for resurfacing the streets of Pune in the current fiscal.
Every year, the PMC spends crores of rupees on building new roads or digging existing ones for various purposes which leads to the emergence of potholes which then have to be repaired using additional money from taxpayers, thus continuing the vicious cycle. According to data shared by civic officials, the maintenance cost of roads is increasing with each passing year. Official PMC data shows that from 2013-14 to 2022, the civic body spent Rs221.09 crore on clearing potholes in the city.
PMC road department head, V J Kulkarni, said, “It is true that the road maintenance cost is increasing day after day. The main reason for increasing potholes on the roads is road-digging for various reasons. The PMC has to give permission for road-digging mainly for laying mobile cables, water lines and drainage lines. Once the roads are dug, they lose their original strength and maintenance works emerge.”
“The road-digging cost will increase further in the next few years as almost all roads have been dug up for the 24x7 water supply scheme. The work of the water project is nearing completion and immediately after, the civic body will need to give permission for the 5G network. As new technology is emerging continuously, we have to give permission for that which is directly linked to development. Even the MNGL pipeline works are sizeable in the city,” Kulkarni said.
Former standing committee chairman Vishal Tambe said, “If the PMC is claiming that it spent only Rs221 crore on pothole clearing and other works, they are hiding figures. The actual amount is definitely more. Many a time, the PMC carries out pothole clearing and maintenance work on defective roads. The civic body even brings its own material from its readymade hot-mix plant and the cost of the same is not considered.”
“The PMC should frame a long-term policy for pothole clearing and road maintenance. Day by day, maintenance costs are increasing. The PMC needs to take action against the contractors, consultants and administrative officers responsible for the quality of roads,” Tambe said.
While the civic body has been heavily criticised for potholes during the monsoon, recently, BJP leader and Pune district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil said that the long-term policy should be to create maximum cement-concrete roads in the city. A civic official on condition of anonymity said, “The cost of cement-concrete roads is high. In case of emergencies, we need to dig even cement-concrete roads. For example, while implementing the 24x7 water supply scheme, metro and BRTS work, the PMC dug up even cement-concrete roads in the city.”
