Members of the road development and road maintenance committee (RDRMC) have accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of taking the problem of potholes in the city lightly, saying that the civic body has not taken any action in the past seven years since submission of the committee report in 2016.
RDRMC members alleged that there hasn’t been any communication or meeting to discuss the committee’s suggestions after submission of the committee report.
Prashant Inamdar, member of the committee, said, “The PMC is not serious about this issue and asked us to submit the report just as a formality. After submission of the report, there hasn’t been a single meeting to discuss the committee recommendations.”
Inamdar said that if the civic body was serious about the issue, they would have called a meeting to discuss the committee’s recommendations and would have already started working on the suggestions.
The municipal commissioner had constituted the RDRMC in wake of the PMC being severely criticised for poor maintenance of roads and the inconvenience caused to the general public, especially during the monsoon season. The committee was entrusted with the task of reviewing the current road development and maintenance scenario and suggesting practical solutions.
In their report, the RDRMC committee put forth 17 recommendations and asked the civic body to immediately try and implement the same for the purpose of road safety. The committee recommended that for decisions regarding construction of concrete roads, other important aspects such as utilities, temperature, noise, roadside trees, water percolation and the citizens’ opinion should be considered coupled with technical parameters like lifecycle cost and reduced maintenance.
{{/usCountry}}In their report, the RDRMC committee put forth 17 recommendations and asked the civic body to immediately try and implement the same for the purpose of road safety. The committee recommended that for decisions regarding construction of concrete roads, other important aspects such as utilities, temperature, noise, roadside trees, water percolation and the citizens’ opinion should be considered coupled with technical parameters like lifecycle cost and reduced maintenance.
{{/usCountry}}The committee in their report recommended that GIS mapping of all roads showing all over ground and underground services and incorporating other technical and physical parameters should be the topmost priority. This would act as a decision-making tool at the time of preparation of estimates and execution of work. The civic body should establish a ‘road repairs and maintenance cell’ for better implementation and monitoring of ducting and reinstatement activities. To avoid passing of the buck on matters concerning roads and potholes, the civic body should define the roles and responsibilities of PMC engineers, especially in projects where consultants and third-party audit agencies are deployed.
Hindustan Times tried to contact VG Kulkarni, head of road department, PMC but he was unavailable for comment.