Pune Faces Woes With Narrow Roads Amid Monsoon Season
Pune, 31st July 2023: Pune, with its 970 km of narrow roads less than 12 meters wide, is grappling with a plethora of issues as these roads fall under the jurisdiction of ward offices, leaving them neglected and in poor condition. The narrow alleys, although vital for local connectivity, have been riddled with potholes during the monsoon, posing dangers to motorists and pedestrians alike.
While the municipal administration boasts of filling approximately 19,000 potholes on roads wider than 12 meters from June 1 to the end of July, there remains a lack of information regarding the condition of minor roads.
The responsibility for the 428 km of roads wider than 12 meters lies with the road department, and they are promptly attended to due to the Defect Liability Period (DLP) obligations. However, the situation is starkly different for the ward offices, as there is no mechanism in place to inform senior officials about the state of these narrow roads.
Consequently, the zonal offices, which have a separate fund for road repairs, have neglected their upkeep, as they remain largely unchecked by higher authorities.
Despite the administration’s directives to submit a ‘DLP’ report on roads with potholes, the zonal offices have failed to comply. This lack of action has led to the protection of the contractors and officials, even after 13 contractors were blacklisted in the past.
The absence of a systematic reporting mechanism from zonal to main road departments has resulted in a lack of control and improvement in the condition and quality of the narrow roads, adversely affecting daily commuters.
Width and Length of City Roads (in Kilometers):
Roads less than 12 meters – 970.86
Roads of 12 to 24 meters – 314
Roads of 24 to 30 meters – 60.54
Roads of 30 to 36 meters – 29.96
Roads from 36 to 61 meters – 23.29
Length by Type of Roads (in Kilometers):
Asphalt Road – 944.12
Cement Concrete – 210.39
Thin White Tapping – 177.67
Paver Block – 29.55
Mastic Asphalt – 19.86
Unsealed – 17.18
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