When the residents of other localities complain about the poor state of roads, GHMC cries off saying it cannot take up road works during or before the monsoon.

But in this case, the GHMC has gone out of its way to make an exception.

Because of the heavy rainfall in early September, potholes dot several main roads in the Twin Cities.

A few days ago, the corporation Commissioner S P Singh had made it clear that the GHMC would take up restoration work on battered roads only from the next month.

But out at the Dharam Karan Road, work is progressing at a brisk pace, come rain or sunshine. About 30 GHMC workers are on the job which began a couple of days back. Officials say the work will be completed in about three days.

Speaking to Expresso, GHMC officials said that the recent rains have damaged more than 85 to 100 km of roads in different stretches of the Twin Cities.

The GHMC proposes to spend Rs 20 crore for recarpeting of BT roads that have been damaged.

In the GHMC limits, about 2,280 km are laid with BT roads, CC roads (2,030 km) and other roads (1,660 km). In fact, even after the blanket ban on road cuttings during the monsoon, utility departments and cable companies like HMWS&SB, the Central Power Distribution Company Limited of Andhra Pradesh (CPDCL), APTransco, BSNL, VSNL and some other private companies are on a cutting spree.

Many of the companies had taken permission from the GHMC to lay optic fibre cable lines by cutting roads but they are taking up the works now.

Distress calls from citizens in localities where roads have been cut are ignored by the GHMC officials.

The ditches turn into huge potholes are eventually filled with mud or stones by the hapless residents.