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Road Development

BMC defers deadline to fill potholes

Saturday, 03 August 2013 07:20 administrator
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The Indian Express            03.08.2013

BMC defers deadline to fill potholes

BMC has pushed its deadline to fill potholes by 10 days to August 25, said officials. With potholes becoming an election issue and Rahul Shewale, chairman of standing committee offering to resign, the civic administration has been getting flak from citizens.

Additional Commissioner SVR Srinivasan (Roads) said, "A master plan that will look into the procession routes is ready," said Srinivasan. BMC had last week discussed suitable measures to repair roads with Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti.

Meanwhile, even as the fresh deadline looks difficult, a 10-day report by road engineers from all wards of BMC has further burdened the civic administration, as it showed a steep rise in potholes across the suburbs. However, around 20 per cent of roads in the western suburbs were yet to be accounted for.

"I am yet to look at the pothole data on the western suburbs as only 80 per cent of the reports have reached me. Potholes have increased significantly in the eastern suburbs," said Srinivasan.

"Earlier, BMC had set August 16 as the deadline saying they had funds to repair the roads in time for the Ganesh Utsav but now they say they will get it done by August 25. It will be difficult to take idols to the mandap," said Naresh Dahibawkar, president of Sarvajanik Ganpati Mandal Samanvay Samiti.

 

Interlocked tiles to the rescue of Kochi corporation, PWD

Saturday, 03 August 2013 05:16 administrator
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The Times of India              03.08.2013

Interlocked tiles to the rescue of Kochi corporation, PWD

KOCHI: Rising public protests against potholed roads have forced the public works department (PWD) and the Kochi corporation to go in for the costlier interlocking tiles to repair busy junctions and internal city roads. While these tiles may slow down traffic, it is said to be the perfect solution for roads that are regularly damaged due to heavy rains and waterlogging.

The PWD has already started the process of laying interlocking blocks at High Court Junction. They have also put forward a proposal for the same at Menaka on Shanmugham Road. According to executive engineer P P Benny, the department and will soon start work at Palarivattom Junction also. It will be an extension of the tiles laid in the area earlier. The entire Palarivattom circle will be paved with tiles.

The Gandhinagar division of the Kochi corporation is also using interlocking tiles to pave Friends Lane and Purushu Menon Road. "The work on Friends Lane is almost complete and the local body has partially completed Purushu Menon Road. The plan is to relay all internal roads in Gandhinagar division using interlocking tiles," said councillor K J Jacob. The corporation will relay the road near Kamattipadom using Rs 13.80 lakh from the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

According to PWD, tiled roads have longer life and durability and bring down the recurring cost incurred through repairing and relaying roads. "The interlocking blocks were earlier used near the petrol bunk at Palarivattom and also along Kaniyampuzha Road. These stretches are still motorable after this year's heavy monsoon and heavy movement of traffic. Hence, the department has decided to use tiles at other busy junctions in the city," said Benny.

According to PWD, since the tiles are interlocked, potholes will not develop on roads paved using them. The gaps between these blocks also allow seepage of rain water. "We need to have drains on the side of roads to ensure drainage of rain water," added Benny. Since precast tiles are used for paving roads, roads will not have to be closed for curing. The department said that they were using the best quality tiles that have 100mm thickness.

Meanwhile, agencies such as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are not in favour of using interlocking blocks. According to NHAI, highways are meant for fast movement of vehicles, but the tiles will slow down vehicles.

 

Potholes to get more hot-mix treatment

Saturday, 03 August 2013 05:07 administrator
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The Times of India              03.08.2013

Potholes to get more hot-mix treatment

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) plans to increase the amount of hot-mix to repair potholes, once the rain halts.

The civic officials said the administration has carried out repair work even during the rainy days at Senapati Bapat Road, Ganeshkhind Road, Pashan, University of Pune, Bavdhan, Paud Road, Karve Road, Fergusson College Road, Ghole Road, Balgandharv Chowk, Simala office, S G Barve Chowk, Ghavane and Chandni Chowk, Nal stop, Shivnerinagar, areas in Kondhwa Budruk, Kothrud and Deccan.

"The repair works began few weeks back. We have used various materials including paving blocks, brick, sand and cold-mix to repair the potholes," said Mahesh Pathak on Friday.

On complaints about the poor quality of road repairs, Pathak said that the material used did not prove very effective against the rain and in some areas the repairs lasted for short time.

"Due to continuous rainfall, potholes have come up again in some areas. Since there is a break in the rain now, we will use hot-mix more as it will give a quick and long term solution for potholes," he said.

Citizens across the city have complained about the poor condition of the roads after the monsoon set in. The potholes have not only slowed down traffic, but also made the roads more accident-prone. Many motorists were injured after their vehicles skidded and fell because of a pothole. So far the civic officials have been unable to effectively employ any technique to fill them.

The leaders of political parties have demanded a change in the terms and conditions while allotting road contracts. They also demanded that the contractors should take responsibility of the road for seven years after its laid. The leaders have also vouched for an external agency rather than officials to check the quality of road works and blacklist contractors.

Pathak said that the administration will consider these demands at the appropriate time.

 
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