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PMC’s drive against contractors for bad roads loses momentum
Potholes mainly seen on small, internal thoroughfares. Repeated digging major concern as resurfacing does not help solve problem
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) drive against contractors for potholes on road going soft has led to increase in number of bad stretches.
A civic official on condition of anonymity said, “As per the municipal commissioner’s instruction, the civic administration issued notices to contractors and collected fine of Rs5,000 for per square metre. At least Rs5 lakh fine was collected, but the drive has lost its momentum.”
An officer from road department said, “Potholes are mainly seen on small and internal roads and digging work is one of the main reasons. One can observe that most potholes develop on the edges of roads because of digging works.”
VJ Kulkarni, head, PMC road department, said, “We had issued notices to contractors for potholes. Even our engineers carried out site visits. A total of 22 roads out of 139 are under defect liability period which was constructed recently. We collected fines for these 22 bad roads.”
Another PMC official on condition of anonymity said, “Some roads are of poor quality, mainly those laid at ward levels. Administration keeps a check on main roads. Repeated road digging is one of the reasons for potholes as resurfacing does not help.”
Cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil had recently called for laying cement concrete roads to avoid potholes. “As a long-term policy, the BJP will promote cement concrete roads,” he said.
