HYDERABAD: Unbelievable, but true. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) spent Rs 7,396 to fill each pothole in the city as the civic body itself testified to the court of law.
In the data submitted to the High Court, the corporation said it had spent Rs 180.08 crore to fill 2,43,455 potholes from financial year 2016-17 to till date. Though the corporation earmarked about Rs 1,600 to repair each pothole, it has spent over four times the amount, according to the data. Surprisingly, the civic body, in its report, maintained that the decrease in number of potholes over the years was due to preventive and comprehensive steps taken under periodical preventive maintenance (PPM) and the recent comprehensive road maintenance plan (CRMP) programmes.
According to the data submitted to the High Court, the corporation deployed instant repair teams (IRT), which work during the non-monsoon period spanning from November 1 to May 31 every year. During the financial year 2017-18, it deployed 60 teams and spent Rs 4.92 crore, 79 teams in 2018-19 and spent Rs 6.91 crore, 157 teams in 2019-20 and spent Rs 20.26 crore and 141 teams in 2020-21 and spent Rs 48.82 crore. Overall, the GHMC spent Rs 48.28 crore on 437 IRT teams. This apart, the corporation spent Rs 95.77 crore on monsoon emergency teams (MET), which were placed to look after repair of roads, clear water stagnation on roads etc during June 1 to October 31. It deployed 173 teams and spent Rs 21.68 crore during the financial year 2018-19, 153 teams and spent Rs 22.92 crore in 2019-20, 170 teams and spent Rs 24.53 crore and, in 2020-21, 195 teams and spent Rs 26.64 crore.
In addition to the above teams, the GHMC also took up repair of potholes, cross cuttings and longitudinal cutting of roads using jet patcher or speed craft machines to ensure speedy and effective filling of potholes, as per the GO NO 271 dated April 18, 2018. It used Shell Mac compound which is used for instant repair of potholes and depressions on roads permanently. It is an all-weather usage product and repairs can be made in wet conditions of monsoon, low temperatures of winter and high temperatures of summer.
The treated surface can be opened for traffic immediately after treatment. The civic body has also used bulk bitumen, crushed metal and cationic emulsion to repair the potholes. The civic body spent Rs 6.09 crore during financial year 2016-17 for procurement of pothole repair material to repair 86,884 potholes, Rs 7.25 crore in 2017-18 to repair 56,769 potholes, Rs 5.81 crore in 2018-19 to repair 42,870 potholes, Rs 5.70 crore in 2019-20 to repair 41,836 potholes and Rs 1.89 crore and in 2020-21 to repair 12,944 potholes.
The corporation submitted to the court that it had repaired 2,152 potholes in 2021-22 as on date. Overall, the corporation claimed that it had filled 2,43,455 potholes and spent Rs 170.08 crore in the last five years.
A senior GHMC official, requesting anonymity, said additionally the corporation spent about Rs 10 crore to procure the jet patchers. He said the overall amount spent on repairing potholes on city roads was Rs 180.08 crore. When asked about spending Rs 7,396 per pothole while the corporation allocated only Rs 1,560 to fill each pothole, the official refused to comment on the issue.
