The Times of India 02.03.2013
Regular repair secret of NDMC's sturdy roads
NEW DELHI: The difference is stark. The roads in Lutyen's Delhi are as smooth as can be. And the maintenance work is unobtrusive—so much so that you never get to notice if there is anything wrong with any road as a result of wear and tear. The obvious conclusion could be that since VVIPs live in this area, NDMC is super efficient. That is not the entire truth, say officials of New Delhi Municipal Council. A good drainage system and regular maintenance explain why the roads are durable, they say.
The focus,
officials say, is on ensuring there is no waterlogging. Due to
waterlogging, the bitumen surface becomes weak and cracks. "When a road
is relaid, we first improve the drainage system. Also, there is green
cover on both sides of the roads which absorbs the water. As a result,
we don't face the waterlogging,'' said an NDMC official.
The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) had prepared a road maintenance plan in 2004 with recommendations for the civic agencies but it has not been implemented. Experts say the life of a road can be prolonged if the corporation does micro-surfacing, a practice common in the Lutyen's zone. A 4mm bitumen layer is laid and a chemical adhesion promoter added which seals the crater. Instead of relaying the whole road, the upper layer is removed and micro-surfacing done. For at least three years, no repairs are required. "It is the cheapest and most effective method...otherwise the road would have potholes,'' said PK Jain, chief scientist, CRRI. NDMC has done micro-surfacing of close to 30 stretches. Officials say roads that were dense-carpeted eight years back are still in a good condition due to micro-surfacing. But the corporations say it's expensive affair. "Micro-surfacing adds only three years to a road's life. It is expensive and not good for roads with heavy vehicle movement. PWD used it on two roads but it wasn't successful," said PK Gupta, commissioner, North corporation. Gupta added that they also use the stone mastic technique. "Stone mastic technique may make the road more durable but the cost is high. It takes a month for the road to set in but contractors open the road soon after the layer has cooled. It doesn't mean that the road has set in. It isn't only costly, but a hazard to environment as for preparing the aggregate, a temperature of 220 degree Celsius is needed which cause pollution. Instead of mastic, micro-surfacing is a better option and nowadays it is being used even on flyovers. Our experience in Hyderabad has been quite satisfactory," said Jain.
