Prepare for bumpy rides during Durga Puja in Salt Lake as the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation is yet to start repairing the roads that now resemble the surface of the moon.
With less than a month left for Durga Puja, it is very unlikely that the condition of the roads will improve before the festivities begin. According to civic officials, the repairs cannot start until the rain stops.
The battered road near EE Block in sector II of Salt Lake on Sunday
This newspaper had reported on multiple occasions about the bad state of roads in Salt Lake and adjoining areas.
On Sunday, it drove through some of the affected roads.
Motorists headed to Salt Lake from EM Bypass have to endure some of the most battered stretches like the Sports Authority of India (SAI) crossing.
Motorists here have to face giant craters and potholes that have formed right in the middle of the intersection of the Bypass and the Broadway — a six-lane artery that connects Salt Lake to the Bypass.
The situation is similar on the Bypass-bound flank of the Broadway.
The entire road has crumbled near the Wipro Crossing of Third Avenue close to the JK Saha bridge in Salt Lake. Thousands of commuters use the road that connects
Salt Lake to Sector V. However, the state of the road is such that accidents are taking place almost every other day.
The Third Avenue leads to the Karunamoyee crossing.
The Karunamoyee crossing is dotted with potholes whose size and depth are increasing with each passing day.
Another road, near EE Block in Sector II of Salt Lake, is crying
for repairs. Riding through the stretch is extremely risky for two-wheelers. It is dotted with potholes that are now filled with muddy rainwater. It is impossible for anyone to gauge the depth of the potholes.
A senior official of the civic body’s road repairs department admitted that no thorough repairs have been done over at least the past eight years.
“Movement of vehicles has increased over the years. This too has made things worse. In many places, the asphalt layer has completely disintegrated,” he said.
“The brickwork of the roads is exposed in multiple areas and in several places sharp edges of the bricks stick out making it extremely difficult for motorists to drive through,” the official said.
According to the official, a sum of Rs 10 lakh has been allocated to each of the 41 wards of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation but little can be done with the funds given the extent of the damage.
“At the most, we can do patchwork repairs on major arteries leading to popular Durga Puja pandals before the festive season starts.
“Even that will be unlikely if we keep getting rainy days,” the official added.
