Kolkata Road Repairs Stalled By Monsoon KMC Awaits 7 Day Dry Spell To Resume
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is facing significant challenges in completing essential road repair work across the city due to incessant monsoon rainfall. The civic body is earnestly hoping for at least seven consecutive days of dry weather to ensure comprehensive road restoration. Despite brief dry spells utilized for immediate patchwork on key central Kolkata thoroughfares like Lenin Sarani and SN Banerjee Road, sustained operations remain elusive. Production at KMC’s hot-mix plants in Goragacha and Palmer Bazar has been severely impacted, as continuous rain prevents the effective use of this crucial road repair material.
Civic officials confirm that the production capacity of these hot-mix plants has been augmented, ensuring no shortage of materials for city-wide repairs. However, the relentless rain prohibits the consistent operation of these facilities. The Mayor stated that, once a dry spell commences, the repair of critical road stretches would not take more than 72 hours, emphasizing that the current damage is an unavoidable consequence of the monsoon. Road repair teams, fully equipped, have largely remained inactive, simply awaiting a favorable break in the weather to begin extensive work.
The deteriorating road conditions have significantly impacted traffic flow, particularly on stretches like DH Road near Mominpore, where traffic police have implemented “fouling” to manage congestion for vehicles travelling towards central Kolkata. Discussions are ongoing between the police, KMC, and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited to find further corrective measures. Public frustration is mounting, evidenced by recent protests where school children blocked Biren Roy Road (West), demanding immediate restoration of what they termed “death trap” road surfaces, highlighting the direct impact on daily commutes and public safety.
The prolonged monsoon is testing Kolkata’s urban infrastructure resilience, emphasizing the need for adaptable repair strategies. As civic bodies await a crucial dry spell, this situation underscores the broader impact of changing climate patterns on city services and highlights the imperative for robust, year-round maintenance plans to ensure public safety and efficient urban mobility.
