Hyderabad: On July 21, the Hyderabad Mayor had said: “All potholes in GHMC limits will be taken up for repairs in a phased manner by deploying the Road Doctor, and repairing teams will be on the job 24x7.”
But the upsetting ground reality is that the GHMC has deployed a truck carrying bitumen mix and spades. Unskilled workers simply dump the mix in a pothole, press the material down using a spade, and this is being counted as a repaired pothole. A moderate spell of rain can erode this freshly-laid layer.
While Road Doctors — specialised road repair vehicles — were mooted during former commissioner Mr Somesh Kumar’s tenure, high costs stopped the GHMC from procuring them.
In a damning letter, Mr Vijay Dabade from Ramakrishnapuram, wrote to DC: “There are roads between potholes. GHMC officers and ministers should commute from ECIL, Sainikpuri, Ramakrishapuram flyover and Safilguda areas and then decide whether these roads need repairs on a war footing. The mayor said in the entire city, newly-identified potholes were 800 in number. It appears he has forgotten to add another zero to this figure. Even by conservative estimates, the number of ditches in the twin cities will cross 8000.”
The Municipal minister himself has identified the problem. He had said, “On many newly-laid roads, pebbles and dust have accumulated and citizens are suffering. The deputy commissioner and assistant medical health officers are directed to focus on sweeping; special machines may be utilised wherever
available.”
As per GHMC records, as on July 30, 815 potholes had been repaired.
