Pune: The civic body started a special drive to fix potholes and claims to have corrected over 1,224 craters over three nights, but this has not impressed citizens who criticised the work and questioned washing away of the roads in the first place. Pune Municipal Corporation ( PMC ) officials said the action was in response to citizens’ complaints, a meeting with MP Murlidhar Mohol and the police department raising the issue. Head of PMC’s road department Aniruddha Pawaskar said different govt agencies and various PMC departments conduct excavation works to provide proper infrastructure to citizens.
This often damages roads in myriad ways. “The continuation of infrastructure work and incessant rains over many days has led to large potholes appearing on asphalt roads. Additionally, it has been difficult to fill craters since the rain has not taken a break for more than two weeks,” he said.
Pawaskar said that since it did not rain on Saturday night, the road department immediately started to fill potholes and continued it through Sunday and Monday nights. The focus was to fill potholes and do the patchwork required with concrete (cement) and asphalt. However, experts and citizen activists questioned the claims and quality of road repairs.
Sanjay Shitole of citizens group Pune City Eye said PMC should find a permanent solution to the recurring problem. “There is no system to monitor appearance of potholes and condition of roads, and PMC should use drones to do the need.