No path-breaking solution to bumpy ride across Delhi

In a recent internal survey by the PWD, it has identified that there were at least 1,205 potholes, damaged and broken roads across the national capital.
Vehicles crossing potholes on a busy Ashram road; (right) Akshardham Flyover is riddled with craters. (Photo |  EPS/Parveen negi)
Vehicles crossing potholes on a busy Ashram road; (right) Akshardham Flyover is riddled with craters. (Photo | EPS/Parveen negi)

NEW DELHI: Potholes found on roads managed by the Public Works Department (PWD) will be filled in the next 24 hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on October 17, 2019. Almost a year after the AAP government launched the Delhi pothole-free drive, ahead of the Assembly elections, the dream to travel on world-class roads, at par with the standards of European and American cities, remains a distant dream for Delhiites. Reason: In a recent internal survey by the PWD, it has identified that there were at least 1,205 potholes, damaged and broken roads across the national capital. 

Many of them were not only causing a threat to the lives of commuters travelling via these routes but also  adding chaos to traffic congestions and the city’s air pollution. Out of the total potholes identified, 140 were in Central and New Delhi zones, 250 in South West, 200 in South and South East, 100 in West, 95 in Shahdara, 55 in North East, 40 in East and the least 25 in North West.

According to the PWD, in September itself, it received a total of 999 complaints related to poor road conditions, of which 356 were of potholes. And, in the first 10 days of October, about 257 people filed complaints related to road conditions, including 85 potholes. Though the department has claimed to have fixed 389 potholes (from September to October 10) and addressed 798 complaints of road-related issues, there are still 103 complaints regarding road infrastructure and 48 potholes pending. 

In a reality check, The Morning Standard has found that the conditions of city roads and commuters have a different story to share. This reporter visited about 15 stretches, including Akshardham Flyover, DPS Mathura Road, Bhikaji Cama Place Flyover, Jangpura, Indraprasth Road, Munirka Flyover, Kondli, Loni Road, Ashok Vihar, Ashok Nagar, Najafgarh, Kondli, among others to find out how prepared Delhi is to become a world-class city.  

Akshardham Flyover 

During the reality check, we found that a portion of busy Akshardham Flyover, starting from the Akshardham Flyover Metro station foot overbridge, is ravelling, broken with the tar removed from both sides of the road. Similarly, the Outer Ring Road near the IIT Hostel, DPS Mathura Road near Sundar Nagar nursery, Lodhi Road, Kondli, Swaminarayan Narayan Marg outside the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) were riddled with potholes. 

Bhikaji Cama Place

Besides the pits and broken roads, many stretches are in tatters. In stretches like Bhimaji Cama Place, South Extension and Sreenivaspuri, bus queue shelters are situated in undesignated places near the exit point of flyovers, putting the life of commuters at risk. “The construction agencies remove bus queue shelters while laying a road or a flyover and shift them to undesignated places. For instance, at Bhikaji Cama Place, passengers have to reach the main road, risking their lives, to board a bus,” says a PWD official. In many sections, it was found that the PWD has repaired the roads following complaints from commuters. However, in many places, the repairing work was left unfinished. Also, at some places, the agencies concerned have not cleaned the debris after road constructions. 

Tughlakabad Road 

Although the agency repaired the stretch near Tughlakabad Road signal, it has left a manhole half-covered in the middle of the road, causing a threat to commuters especially two-wheelers and pedestrians. Similarly, near the Preet Vihar Metro station on Vikas Marg, the PWD has repaired a portion and fixed the potholes with bituminous layer but left the work unfinished, causing dust pollution.

Janakpuri 

“The road between Dabri Flyover and the Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital got damaged after cables were laid and it was covered with red sand. I had filed a complaint in June last year. In reply, the PWD told me that the bituminous work could be carried out due to the monsoon. It has been more than a year, the work is yet to be completed,” says Harmeet Singh, a resident of Janakpuri. 

Outer Ring Road 

A resident of South Delhi says the PWD-maintained flyover at the T point of Africa Avenue and Outer Ring Road near the IIT Hostel is riddled with potholes and due to disintegrated coal tar surface, its edges have accumulated tiny stone pieces, becoming an unsafe path for commuters, especially particularly two-wheelers.”A DTC driver, on the condition of anonymity, says: “I drove in almost all major roads and flyovers of the city. At least 50% of the roads are poorly maintained and are risky for us.”

Shahdara 

Vinay Kumar, a resident of Shahdara and a daily commuter says the roads in his area are not safe for two-wheelers because there are potholes in every 3 km. “Even if the PWD or the MCD repairs any road, it never removes the debris, putting our lives at stake,” he says.“Crossing potholes near GTB signal, Bhajanpura, Vikarpuri and Rani Jhansi road towards the Paharganj police station has become a daily affair now,” Kumar adds. Another commuter, Zakir Hussain, says: “No doubt the conditions of roads have improved in the city but there are many stretches which still face official apathy. It is not like the PWD or the MCD is not doing anything. These departments need to use a better quality of material to construct roods.”

PWD blames coronavirus

The PWD has blams the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown for the delay in the work. 
“Repairing of roads is an ongoing process. Roads are inspected every day, and we immediately fill the potholes wherever we spot any. This year, all the potholes and road maintenance works were scheduled to be completed by April. Unfortunately, the work was largely affected and hampered due to the lockdown,” a PWD official says. The official adds that 90% of the PWD staff were deployed in the Covid-19 duty that added to further delay of completion of the work. “Potholes usually increase during monsoons. But, the PWD has now hired many road GPS-tagged inspection vehicles. These vehicles comprise a mason, bituminous, cement, water and other construction material. The mason inspects roads and fills potholes,” says another PWD official. 

‘Permanent solution needed’ 

“Potholes are bound to happen on bituminous roads and for that, timely maintenance and inspections are required. There should be a permanent tie-up with agencies available with instruments to rectify potholes immediately. Despite being the national capital, Delhi waits for the manpower to rectify such issues,” S Velmurugan, senior principal scientist and former head of the Traffic Engineering and Safety Division, Central Road Research Institute.Besides potholes and poor constructions, the city faces pavement issues at various stretches, and the Munirka Flyover is one of the examples. Since last year, no maintenance work has been taken place here. “The worst thing is the PWD or any other authority waits for the pothole to get developed. They should be fixed immediately — maximum within 72 hours. Laxity is the biggest reason for craters and accidents,” he adds. 

Sewa Ram, a professor at the Transport Planning at School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), says: “There are two kinds of potholes, one occurs during monsoons and the other happens due to design/technical faults. It also happens when an overloaded vehicle uses or is parked on a road not designed for heavy vehicles. The agencies also should prepare some kind of mapping or information system using the internet for timely maintenance of pavements. It will help in setting up a time table.”

Atul Ranjeet Kumar, general secretary of Guru Hanuman Society of India, says: “Since 2014, we have filed 10,000 complaints regarding potholes in the city. The PWD does take up the issues, but the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) never pays attention to the complaints of public. In Rohini, there are 2-3-inch deep potholes, but despite repeated complaints, they are yet to be filled.”   

A joint forum of Vasundhra Enclave, representing all 45 co-op group housing societies, says it has requested the PWD to clean the stormwater drains, which lead to waterlogging in the area, but the work has not started yet. “Potholes and ravelling is the biggest reason for traffic jams. But wherever we find potholes or debris lying on roads, we click photographs and send them to the PWD for repairing,” says a senior PWD official said.

Govt plans

To reduce dust pollution during winters, the Delhi government has recently directed all PWD engineers to fill all potholes by October 15 and to start water sprinkling. Also, greenery such as shrubs and plants will be planted on pucca roads and patches will be laid kaccha roads to check dust. The PWD said tenders have also been issued for strengthening of roads, and the work has been taken up at various stretches for recarpeting, re-developing.

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