Nagpur : Tarring cement concrete roads to hide inferior quality of works has become a norm for the state’s public works department (PWD). Now, the entire road from Chhindwara-Bhopal national highway to Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Temple, Koradi, is being asphalted as part of preparations for president Droupadi Murmu maiden visit to the city.
The PWD had concretized two sides of the road around five years ago, spending crores of rupees. Due to shoddy quality of works, the cement concrete surface layer has peeled off completely causing serious inconvenience to the citizens. The road has also developed wide cracks and potholes.
As usual, the PWD did not take any action against the contractor. The road was left as it is despite a series of complaints about problems to the citizens.
Instead of rectifying problems, PWD has started to asphalt two sides of the road ahead of the President’s visit. The President will inaugurate Ramayan Cultural Centre, at Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Temple, on July 5.
PWD officials said that the repair is being done on an emergency basis. “The road’s condition is not good. Repairing through cement concrete technology will take time. Therefore, the road is being asphalted,” they said.
Zilla Parishad member Dyaneshwar ‘Nana’ Kambhale alleged that it is a scam. “PWD did not take action against the contractor and its engineers for inferior quality of work. Public money got wasted after the concrete road was damaged. Again, public money is being spent for tarring concretized road. Inquiry should be conducted in all works executed in and around Koradi temple,” Kambhale said.
Social activist Suraj Lolage alleged that engineers and contractors are pocketing money through the maintenance work. “Ministers often claim that cement roads sustain for 50-100 years and do not require repairing. The PWD concretized the Inner Ring Road which got damaged within months. Same is the condition of the remaining roads concretized by the PWD connecting Inner Ring Road with Hudkeshwar, Narsala, Besa and Beltarodi. All works are executed by the same engineers and contractors,” Lolage said.
The NMC had also concretized the London Street Road a year ago. The surface layer of the footpath too was concretized at some spots. The entire surface layer has peeled off now.
Now, NMC’s contractor is asphalting the footpath too. Roadside trees are getting choked, first by cement concrete and now by tar. The quality of work done on this road is also very bad, claimed local residents. Till date no action has been taken against the contractor by the civic body.
