PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
With less than two weeks left before the October 15 deadline set by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for completing road patchwork, several stretches in the provisional State capital Dehradun continue to be riddled with potholes. Residents have complained that little or no repair work has been carried out on many roads.The Public Works Department (PWD) had identified 82 roads in Dehradun, covering 290.03 kilometres, for repairs and estimated the cost at Rs 587.91 lakh. However, the department has so far completed patchwork on only 13.09 kilometres.
Several roads in the city have deep potholes that make driving risky. Residents said that motorists often struggle to maintain balance while navigating these damaged stretches. A Dehradun resident Kamal Kishor said that there was little visible progress on several of the 82 roads identified by the PWD. He pointed to the stretch from Ranghadwala to Ambiwala, where large potholes remain unrepaired. “Public money is being spent, but the roads are still full of potholes. Neither has the material has been laid nor has anyone come to inspect the road,” he said.
Stretches of the main roads dug up for civic works in areas like Nehru Colony and Chakrata Road, among others, have yet to be repaired properly. Residents also said that some stretches repaired recently had developed cracks and potholes after two days of rain. Saurabh Kumar said that the road from Dharampur Chowk to Sabzi Mandi had deteriorated, with loose gravel scattered across the stretch. “No one has come to repair or clear it,” he said. Priyanka Bartwal said that several large potholes had appeared on the road in Mohkampur. “We have been filling them ourselves with soil and pieces of bricks because no one has come to repair the road,” she said.
In August, the CM had directed district magistrates to launch a State-wide drive to make roads pothole-free after the monsoon. He had asked the DMs to prepare action plans, form monitoring committees and ensure regular progress, making it clear that the deadline would not be extended and all roads must be made pothole-free by October 15. PWD assistant engineer Govind Singh Koundal said that the department was working to meet the October 15 deadline. He said that patchwork had begun in Doon’s areas areas including Karanpur, Dalanwala and Nehrugram and many other places. “Rain caused some delay, but efforts are on to complete the target. We will complete the work by the deadline,” he said.
