Hyderabad to spent Rs. 200 Cr on Road works; Quality needs to be ensured
With travel along Hyderabad roads turning into a nightmare due to their poor quality, the need of the hour is to build long lasting roads that can withstand the test of time. It has been suggested that the government seeks the assistance of global experts so as to build a few model roads that can be guaranteed to last for atleast 10 years. These model roads can act as a benchmark in the construction of such long-lasting roads in future. As suggested by the adviser to the Road Safety Project in Andhra Pradesh, which functions on World Bank aid, a professional approach to road building and maintenance is not being followed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), thereby resulting in the city roads ending up in bad shape.
Road damages caused by irregularities of GHMC:
Even though the GHMC is spending Rs.200 crore every year on re-carpeting the roads of the city with layers of bitumen, the necessary road engineering rules are not being followed in the process. As a result, during rains the layers of bitumen are washed away resulting in innumerable potholes, that have caused many accidents across the city. The citizens of the city have ganged up demanding that the GHMC should make good use of the the taxpayers money so as to build good quality roads that would last long, instead of getting it re-carpeted every year.
According to a study conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, the cause for such a pathetic state of affairs is due to the corrupt practices followed by the engineering wing of GHMC, which is responsible for the laying and maintenance of roads. The requisite quality norms are not being followed due to the unhealthy nexus between the engineering officials and the contractors responsible for undertaking the repair work on roads. An enquiry into such irregularities by the CBI has been demanded by social activists. Besides, there are a number of roads that have not been repaired for long, and for those where repair work has already been done, it has gone back to the old state due to the shoddy work that was undertaken.
Requirement of effective drainage system:
It has become a convenient practice for GHMC officials to blame the weather for all the woes associated with the bad condition of roads in the city. The erosion of the bitumen laid on roads has been attributed by the officials to the flooding of roads during the monsoon season. Going by the same theory, bitumen roads in foreign countries should also face erosion during rains, which is not the case. Hence, this theory does not hold ground for the state of the city’s roads. The cause of the bad roads during the rains can be attributed to the poor drainage system that exists in the city. As explained by transportation experts, bitumen erosion cannot be prevented if rain and drain water stagnates on the road for long. Hence, there should be an effective drainage system on either side of the roads for the water not to stagnate and the bitumen to last longer.
Future course of action required:
To prevent future irregularities that result from damage caused due to the rains, it is important to undertake a detailed evaluation of the present and projected volume of traffic that the roads can take, especially during peak hours. Based on this, necessary measures should be taken to strengthen the road base, the various layers as well as the entire road as a whole. Besides, effective maintenance activities should be conducted so that prevention of future damages is ensured.
