KMC to launch more mobile vans for repairing potholes
Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to launch more mobile vans for repairing potholes on city roads while it is also looking forward to bulk production of a unique material made out of a mix of plastic waste and hot bituminous asphalt for road works.
The civic body is hoping to launch more mobile vans in near future to ensure pothole-free Kolkata roads. According to officials of the road department, KMC has launched a unique initiative for making city roads free of potholes.
The department has engaged workers with repairing tools in the mobile vans to travel across city roads 24x7 to fix any potholes located by commuters and police authorities.
Under this initiative, citizens can also avail of Mayor Firhad Hakim’s WhatsApp chatbot number or call KMC’s control room to report on potholes. The mobile van contains 10-15 bags of cold mix, fine sand, cement bags, stone aggregates, metal and bricks.
The tools to fix the craters such as a spade, shovel etc are also present.
It is learnt that at present three such functional mobile vans are plying on city roads.
One has been dedicated to roads in North Kolkata, one for Central Kolkata and the third one for areas under South Kolkata.
As per KMC, these mobile vans have already proved their mettle by fixing potholes at CR Avenue, Cossipore Road, Lal Mohan Bhattacharjee Sarani, Strand Road, Rabindra Sarani, BK Paul Road, Dwarka Road, Canal East Road, Beliaghata Road, Maniktala Main Road, New Market Area, Ultadanga Main Road, Kalighat, College Street etc.
Meanwhile, KMC is experimenting with materials used for road work. According to KMC, plastic waste, long considered to be one of the worst forms of environmental pollutants, may soon be one of the key ingredients for better roads in the city.
It is learnt that the roads department has already done a trial mix of “hot bituminous asphalt modified with plastic waste consisting of polypropylene (PP) passing 2.36 mm and retained at 600 microns”.
This mix was used at Netaji Subhas Road (Bakshi Bagan) in ward 130 under Borough XIV, at the crossing of Remount Road, D H Road in ward 79 under Borough IX. The mix was produced at KMC’s Palmar Bazar Plant through a dry process.
