KMC sets March 2018 as target to repair 93 city roads

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, in coordination with other government agencies responsible for road repair and maintenance in the city, has set March 2018 as a target for repairing as many as 93 roads in the city.

"As the nodal agency, we have conducted a detailed survey of the roads that need repair and have already prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR). We will be spending around Rs 65-70 crore for repair of roads that have been damaged due to heavy rain. Tender will be floated very soon and we hope to complete the repair work by March 2018," Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said after chairing a meeting with government agencies like Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, Hooghly River Bridge Commission, Calcutta Tramways Company etc. A team from Kolkata Port Trust, led by their Chairman Vinit Kumar, also attended the meeting.

"All agencies have been urged to prepare annual plans as to when they want to take up repair of the roads in their respective jurisdictions. This is to maintain synchronisation," Chatterjee said.

It has been learnt that KMC had taken up repair work for roads on an urgent basis before the festive season after the roads had caved in at major thoroughfares with heavy rainfall lashing the city.

"However, in many areas, patch work was done as we had to make them ready before the Pujas. Now, we are taking up a thorough repair.

"The Mayor has given clear instructions to keep a close eye on the quality. If the road is made of mastic asphalt, then same stuff will be used for the upkeep," a senior official of KMC's road department said.

It has been learnt that a number of roads in Dalhousie area, Rashbehari, Tollygunge, Strand Road and Park Circus, along with some roads in North Kolkata will be repaired.