Speak up Delhi - Potholes: Citizens heave a sigh of relief after CM Arvind Kejriwal ultimatum to PWD

  • | Monday | 19th November, 2018

PWD engineers will be held "personally responsible" if a single pothole is found at any stretch," said Kejriwal. According to a senior PWD official, more than 600km of roads, mainly in South Delhi, were repaired last year. Last year, PWD carried out a massive drive to repair arterial roads in the city. He made it clear that PWD engineers will be held "personally responsible" if conditions of roads do not improve by December 15. No matter what vehicle you ride, pock-marked roads can wreak havoc on your control over your vehicle which may lead to accidents.

Following complaints about the poor condition of arterial roads in the national capital, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had directed officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure that all road repair work is completed by the December 15 deadline. The direction, however, came with a warning. He made it clear that PWD engineers will be held "personally responsible" if conditions of roads do not improve by December 15. "Members of the legislative assembly (MLAs), along with local residents, will carry out road inspections starting from December 16. PWD engineers will be held "personally responsible" if a single pothole is found at any stretch," said Kejriwal. While the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to meet the deadline, residents feel that if order addressed with full sincerity, their travel time and conditions may improve by manyfold. The potholes have been an issue for the residents for a very long time. No matter what vehicle you ride, pock-marked roads can wreak havoc on your control over your vehicle which may lead to accidents. Furthermore, it can cause serious damage to both your vehicle and your physical wellbeing. "My father, who is 63-year-old, twisted his ankle after stepping into a pothole. He was put on strict month long bed rest after that," said Sarvesh Singhal, a resident of Shadipur. Although Singhal claimed that he had registered complaints with the authorities, the condition of the road is yet to improve. The locality witnesses an accident almost every second day due to the potholes, he said. Eight deaths were recorded in the city last year due to pothole-related accidents, up from none in 2016. Of a total network of 33,868km in the national Capital, PWD owns and looks after 6308 km apart from the highways, according to Delhi Statistical Hand Book-2017. While the PWD is responsible for roads over 60-metre in width, roads less than 60-m wide broadly fall under the jurisdictions of the civic bodies. The department has an annual budget of about Rs 120 crore for maintenance and repair of stretches. Last year, PWD carried out a massive drive to repair arterial roads in the city. According to a senior PWD official, more than 600km of roads, mainly in South Delhi, were repaired last year. The repair work was undertaken following complaints from Delhiites. VOICES Our locality has been facing pothole issues for a very long time now but there has been no respite even after several complaints. Senior citizens are more prone to injuries due to these potholes, especially during monsoon season when these potholes are not visible.— Rajni Kochhar, Shadipur I spent my college days at Satya Niketan where the roads were pothole-ridden. Back then I was under the impression that only south Delhi is cursed with potholes — the grass is greener on the other side. When I shifted to North campus after graduation, I realised that potholes are universal in the city.— Nainy Khera, GTB Nagar If the authorities are not taking initiatives to make things right, then people must step up and raise questions. I feel that this is the right move to make them accountable.— Gaman Kamra, Netaji Subhash Place Coming from Nainital as a tourist, I expected smooth considering it to be a metro city. To my utter disappointment, the pothole-ridden roads offer you nothing but a bumpy ride. To make things worse, many pavements have been dug to lay cables.— Jigyasa Kalra, Nainital (tourist) Roads connecting the ring road are in poor condition. I have seen bikers injuring themselves in an attempt to avoid potholes. By riding on such roads you put yourself and your vehicle at risk for a serious collision, physical damages, and even death. Chief Minister took a right step to make the authorities personally accountable.— Pawan Negi, Lajpat Nagar Major markets like Sarojini and Lajpat are riddled with potholes. During rush hours, it becomes difficult to dodge them, increasing the risk of injury.— Lavanya Kalra, Nainital (tourist) EXPERT SPEAK It's a welcome step. We hope the purposes behind the step are fulfilled and commuting in the city becomes hassle-free and snooth. However, the ground reality must also be taken care of. Every locality in the capital is riddled with potholes — be it south or east. We hope that CM Kejriwal's decision is backed with action and is not a mere political gimmick.— BS Vohra, President, East Delhi RWA, Joint Front Federation

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