Residents of Delhi can expect better roads free of potholes this monsoon as the Delhi government has undertaken the biggest road repair work in the last five years.
The Public Works Department (PWD) is repairing about 200km of roads in the Capital, some of which have not been tended to since 2012. The repair work, which is being carried out on at least 120 stretches across Delhi, is likely to be completed by the end of May.
The budget for the road repair is Rs 180 crore and the PWD has broadly divided the work into three zones – north, east and south. Apart from the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, smaller roads under PWD are also being repaired.
“Some of the roads were built during the Commonwealth Games and during monsoon, potholes are common because of lack of repair. We have largely divided the roads into three categories – one which requires complete resurfacing, one which needs strengthening and one which requires minor surfacing. A survey was conducted and accordingly a repair plan was prepared,” said a PWD official.
“Flyovers are not part of this repair drive as we carry out strengthening of flyovers from time to time. However, roads were neglected for a long time. After this repair work, no major repair would be required for another five years,” the official added.
Officials said the traffic volume on the roads leads to a quick wear and tear of roads and there was an urgent need to maintain their quality for a smooth flow of traffic and the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
All roads measuring 60 feet and above running into 1260km across the national capital comes under PWD. It has a centralised centre for complaints about potholes and rough patches on the roads under its control.
The PWD is also working on a plan to reduce water-logging on roads during the monsoon, one of the regular problems faced by the people during the rains.
Almost all drains are expected to be cleaned by June 15.
Every monsoon, the city witnesses flooding on roads because drains can carry a load of only 25 mm water per hour. The civic agencies handle almost 90% of the drains.
Delhi’s drainage system was laid in 1976 by the irrigation and flood control department (IFCD), taking into account the urbanisation limits up to 1981.
The government is often accused of carrying out desilting work only on paper.
Major roads under repair
Netaji Subhash Marg: Between Delhi Gate and Lothian Chowk
Ring Road: Between Bhairon Marg and Shanti Van
University Road
Boulevard Road (Lala Hardev Sahai Marg)
Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road (Masoodpur to NH-8)
Press Enclave Road
Outer Ring Road: Between IIT flyover and Chirag Delhi
Savitri Cinema Road
Sri Aurobindo Marg (AIIMS to Mehrauli)
Azadpur traffic light to Mukundpur crossing
Chattrasal Stadium to GT road
KN Katju Road
Jail Road
Rohtak Road
Outer Ring Road from Railway Crossing Peera Garhi up to flyover at Behra Enclave
