Pressed for time, Noida procures hi-tech machine to repair roads

The authority roped in the private agency on June 14 after it failed to make roads ‘potholes free’ as directed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister, on April 30, had set a deadline of June 15 to complete all repair work.

The Noida authority on Wednesday said it has taken on lease a hi-tech machine to repair potholes.

The Noida authority has procured a Jetpatcher machine to repair potholes on roads in Sector 90 on Wednesday. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

The machine uses Jetpatcher technique — the area is cleaned, prepared, sealed, filled, cured and ready for traffic in one smooth operation — to repair potholes using cold-mix plants. The machine can work during the rains and in winter to repair potholes. The machine that uses hot-mix only works during summers.

The Noida authority will pay Rs 4.9 lakh to a private agency to repair potholes in roads in sectors 90 and 137, located along the Noida-Greater Expressway.

The authority roped in the private agency on June 14 after it failed to make roads ‘potholes free’ as directed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister, on April 30, had set a deadline of June 15 to complete all repair work.

A section of officials is said the hi-tech machine should have been taken on lease much earlier to meet the deadline. Now, even with the machine, it will take time to repair the roads.

“The machine is pollution free but expensive. The Noida authority is yet to decide whether it will use the machine in the future as well as it costs more than the machine that works on hot-mix plants,” said BK Singh, senior project engineer, Noida authority.

Many roads in sectors 137, 63 and 135 are pothole-riddled. Almost 20% work repair work is still pending.

“The state government may extend the deadline because it is not possible for us to repair potholes by June 15,” said another Noida authority official.