Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim, on Friday, said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning a gradual shift to concrete block-based road construction to improve road longevity, especially during monsoon.
Responding to complaints about battered roads in several city areas and the resulting traffic congestion, the Mayor said: “We need a 10-day dry spell to repair the roads. We are not being able to work now due to the heavy downpour over the past few days.” Several stretches across the city — including parts of EM Bypass and the Sodepur area in Tollygunge — remain in poor condition, causing serious inconvenience to commuters. Hakim said roads where KEIIP drainage work was ongoing were due for repairs, but continuous rain has hampered the work.
Hakim added that the KMC is exploring cost-effective ways to use concrete blocks for road construction. He explained that earlier, the use of mastic ensured longer-lasting roads, but following the ban on mastic, the civic body has been struggling to maintain road quality. The situation is further aggravated by repeated underground work carried out by multiple agencies.
In a separate development, the Mayor said that no advertisement hoardings or banners would be allowed to cover or deface heritage buildings in the city. This directive is part of the KMC’s new advertisement policy. Hakim said notices would be issued to advertisers who have placed hoardings or banners on structures identified as heritage buildings by the civic body. He stressed that such defacement runs counter to KMC’s ongoing efforts to showcase and preserve Kolkata’s architectural legacy.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore, has forecast intermittent rainfall across Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal till next Thursday.
While the city witnessed above normal rainfall in this season, light to moderate rain accompanied by cloudy sky is expected to persist throughout this week.
Weather officials attributed the wet spell to a cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal and a trough line extending over south Bengal. Though no heavy rainfall warning has been issued for Kolkata, MeT has advised residents to stay updated on daily forecast, as occasional downpours may affect traffic and commute.